The Golitsyns are one of the most noble and ancient princely families of Russia, tracing their ancestry from the son of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, Narimund, who reigned in Novgorod in the 15th century and received the name Gleb at baptism. From the family came 2 field marshals, 22 boyars, 16 governors, 37 high dignitaries, 14 Golitsyns fell on the battlefield, Vasily Vasilyevich (died in 1619) was even one of the contenders for the Russian throne. Princes, senators, scientists, military men, numerous representatives of the Golitsyns served Russia faithfully for six centuries, taking a prominent place in the history of their Fatherland.