An International noble family in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the second half of the 16th and early 17th century

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ENUntil now, many studies have been made that address issues related to family history, especially when it comes to nobles or lower social strata (townsmen, peasants), living mostly in the area of the Crown. In a small degree, the study covered the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). A such situation encourages us to look at some problems of the history of the noble family in the GDL, mainly in Samogitia. The Principality of Samogitia is one of the most distinctive in terms of the administrative and cultural areas of the GDL, whose society has been in a long certain isolation. The object of the study is an international noble family [marriages between Samogitians (Lithuanians) and Germans from Livonia and Prussia, Russians, who came to the GDL]. The basis for investigations is a set of sources, such as the Lithuanian Metrics, court books, various property documents, and literature of the 16th–17th century. The investigation of the international family allows us to look again at marital strategies, family bonds within several generations, the dynamics of changes in the family structure (the concept of small and large family), crossing national and territorial boundaries, shaping the form of communication, identification problems with a linear family, surname, central figure of the family, political and national affiliation, ethnic loyalty or acculturation. In addition, research data shows the dominance of chain migration, which involves the settlement of a number of family members (brothers and other relatives) in the same area. The microanalysis method allows to show the real image of the family (examples of middle and small nobility), family practices that are developing, property circulation (incoming family members and natives), as well as the integration of separate people into the local society.Two family strategies and cultural orientations can be distinguished: 1) the majority of representatives of families from Livonia married only among themselves. In this period we can not see any evidences of their polonization; 2) as far as representatives of the families from Prussia, Russia are concerned, there is a deeper integration with the local community: Polish identity, Catholic faith, relations with the local cultural elite, etc. Keywords: the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, an international noble family, families from Prussia in Samogitia, families from Russia in Samogitia, identity.