▁born ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg . ▁He ▁desc ended ▁from ▁the ▁Ray ev sky ▁noble ▁family ▁which ▁has ▁claimed ▁remote ▁Sc and in av ian ▁and ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁ancest ry . ▁One ▁of ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ' s ▁great ▁grand m oth ers ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁R ae v sky ▁family . ▁Nikol ay ' s ▁grand father , ▁S emy on ▁R ae v sky , ▁was ▁the ▁Pro sec utor ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Syn od . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁rose ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁Russia ▁when ▁R ae v sky ' s ▁father , ▁Colonel ▁Nikol ay ▁S emy on ov ich ▁R ae v sky , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁el ite ▁Iz may lov sky ▁Regiment , ▁married ▁Ek ater ina ▁Sam oy lo va . ▁Ek ater ina ▁was ▁a ▁lady - in - wait ing ▁and ▁close ▁friend ▁of ▁Em press ▁Catherine ▁II , ▁and ▁a ▁nie ce ▁of ▁the ▁Em press ’ ▁influ ential ▁favorite , ▁Prince ▁Pot em kin . ▁Ek ater ina ' s ▁brother ▁was ▁the ▁general ▁and ▁states man , ▁Count ▁Alexander ▁Sam oy lov . ▁ ▁Nikol ay ▁S emy on ov ich ▁R ae v sky ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁action ▁during ▁the ▁Rus so - T urk ish ▁War ▁( 1 7 6 8 – 7 4 ) ▁at ▁I a ş i , ▁dying ▁several ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁his ▁son , ▁General ▁Nikol ay ▁R ae v sky . ▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁Colonel