The aristocracy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – Sarmatism, pollination and “remembering” about its origin

The history of the development of the ruling elite invariably arouses interest not only among professional historians, but also among those who are commonly called “ordinary people”. Of course, in every country and in every historical epoch, the ruling elite has its own characteristics. The feudal elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has passed a special path stretching for six centuries, repeatedly changing nationality and religion, but at the same time preserving its main features and mentality. The article is devoted to the processes of formation and development of the aristocracy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the period from the 14th to the 20th centuries. The domination of a very numerous and ambitious estate created a unique socio-political system of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, largely inherited by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the merger of Lithuania and Poland into one state. After the disappearance of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the political map of the world, the aristocracy experienced significant social changes that caused changes in the ethnic identity of the former aristocracy.