She treated her son strictly and coldly, but the influential court lady Marya Perekusikhina fell in love with the "funny and pungent" boy and, by order of Catherine II, in 1783 he was enrolled in the Page Corps moving from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

Thus, from infancy, Prince Golitsyn had access to the courtyard, where at first it was valued as a participant in the children's games of the Grand Dukes – Alexander and Constantine, and then – as a witty and clever gentleman.

His brother (by father) Mikhail Golitsyn, who took the place of the Yaroslavl governor, built the estate of Karabikha (now a museum-reserve) under the city.

Having a sharp mind by nature, he was particularly distinguished by his ability to mimic and imitate the voices of others, so much so that in another room it was impossible not to be deceived and not to take him for the one whom he mimicked.After graduating from the Page Corps in 1794, he was received as the lieutenant in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Partly under the influence of Rodion Koshelev, this Epicurean and Volterian of Catherine's training, elected in 1806 as a member of the Russian Academy, turned to piety with a pronounced sentimental-mystical color.

He easily undertook to explain to the emperor the most complex theological questions, although he knew the history of religion superficially and considered true Christianity "foggy sentimental pietism mixed with Orthodox dogmas, various heretical and sectarian teachings".

This "baby" in the work of faith was constantly fooled by various bigots and savages; he searched for the "outpouring of the Holy Spirit" and revelations, always chasing the prophets and prophetesses, for signs and wonders: either he "listened to the prophetic word" at the whip of Tatarinova, then he longed for the laying on of the hand of the new Chrysostom – Photius, then healed the possessed ones, then he was certified mystical ecstasy to experience the likeness of the Savior's suffering from the needles of a blackthorn.After in 1817 the departments of spiritual affairs and public education were merged into one ministry – the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education – Golitsyn became the head of the latter, but was relieved of the post of Procurator.

The employees of this society, Popov, Magnitsky, Runich, and Cavelin, were appointed by Golitsyn to direct higher education, where they instilled clericalism; many professors were fired for lack of piety.

Although it was customary to associate the triumph of reaction with finding Golitsyn at the helm of the ministry, it was with him that the Saint Petersburg University and the Richelieu Lyceum were established.

Prince Alexander Golitsyn compiled for Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna "Opinion on the Difference Between the Eastern and Western Churches, with the History of Their Separation", which was published only in 1870.

The ultimate objective of Dr Ross going to Astrakhan was the eventual sortie into the Crimean Peninsula to take the good news of the Gospel of Christ into this area.

This designation is never employed by an individual of foreign Religious Instructors in the Russian Empire, although their object may be to proclaim and promote Christian truth among those who belong not to the Christian religion.He then goes on to ask as to what name they would call themselves and ends his letter with: my earnest desire is that the Lord may be your Counsellor and Director in all your steps, so that thereby His name maybe glorified and the temporal and eternal interests of the Tartar (sic) Inhabitants of the Crimea Promoted.As Prince Galitzin (sic) had given his approval for the Academy and the missionaries were under the security of the Russian Government, it was most necessary to adhere to the objects as laid down by the Prince in his letter.

There was change in the Government and in St Petersburg, as Prince Galitzin (sic) was no longer Minister of State or President of the Bible Society.