The Polish king, Władysław I the Elbow-high, in his letter to the Pope wrote with regret: "The two last Ruthenian kings, that had been firm shields for Poland from the Tatars, left this world and after their death Poland is directly under Tatar threat.
In particolare la famiglia Ostrogski che detenne il titolo di Grand Hetman di Lituania e contribuì a preservare l'antica lingua slava orientale e l'ortodossia orientale in quella parte d'Europa.