Belarusian Nobility
Noble people on Belarusian lands (Belarusian: шляхта, szlachta) were usually of Slavic (Ruthenian) origin in the east or of Baltic (Lithuanian in historical context, Litvin) origin in the west of the lands of what is now Belarus. The percentage of nobility among inhabitants of the lands of modern Belarus was very high compared to other countries: 10%-12% at the end of 18th century compared to 1% in Russia, Prussia or Austria of that time. According to the historian Anatol Hrytskievich, this was because of the necessity to have a large amount of military szlachta was the base for.
Read more about Belarusian Nobility: History, Belarus As Part of The Russian Empire, Naming, Religion, Heraldry, Notable Belarusian Noble Families
Famous quotes containing the word nobility:
“The ideal of brotherhood of man, the building of the Just City, is one that cannot be discarded without lifelong feelings of disappointment and loss. But, if we are to live in the real world, discard it we must. Its very nobility makes the results of its breakdown doubly horrifying, and it breaks down, as it always will, not by some external agency but because it cannot work.”
—Kingsley Amis (1922–1995)