Fortresses and castles in Belarus

Treasures of the powerful magnates of the Radziwills, which are still stored in northern Paris, the village of Golshany, along with the Bermuda triangle listed in the encyclopedia of the mysterious places on the planet, a huge number of secrets and legends can be learned all about it by embarking on an exciting journey through Byelorussia.

Country of castles

The Belarusian lands, through which the largest trade routes passed, were often attacked, since there were quite a few people wishing to take possession of this territory. This was the reason for the appearance here of a large number of defensive structures, castles, fortresses. That is why in the Middle Ages, Belarus was called a country of castles.

Precursors of the castles were hillforts. The appearance of individual stone fortifications in the 13th century by the 14th and 15th centuries turned into a mass erection of stone castles along the border.

Locks in Belarus are shrouded in secrets and have a huge historical and architectural significance on a par with many other European historical monuments.

Mir castle

One of these monuments is Mir Castle (World) in Belarus. It is located in the Grodno region. The earliest buildings of this masterpiece of defense architecture date back to the 16th century. The castle was founded by Prince Illinich, and in 1568, by coincidence, passed Nikolai Radziwill, who completed it in the Renaissance style. This rich Polish-Lithuanian-Belorussian family owned the Mir castle until 1891.

Despite its monumentality and power, the castle does not look intimidating, although it was erected as a defensive structure, like all castles in Belarus. The structure was a square, one side of which was 75 meters, and the width of the walls reached three meters at the base. The height of the walls was 10 meters, and the towers with loopholes reached 25 meters.

The castle, striking with its elegance, is surrounded by an earthen rampart nine meters high. A moat is dug around the tree, filled with water thanks to the Miranka river and the new pond.

The princely chambers were located on the third floor of the castle, built in the courtyard. The second floor was assigned to lackeys and administrations, and the first was used as a food and weapons storehouse.

Today Mir Castle, where restoration is actively underway, is a museum. It is called "Castle Complex Mir", it is open to visitors.

Nesvizh Castle in Belarus

Another possession of the princes of the Radziwills was Nesvizh Castle. According to one of the legends, a tunnel was built between it and Mir Castle to a length of about 30 kilometers and the size of such that it could easily pass a crew harnessed by a troika. But to date, there is no confirmation.

The foundation of the Nesvizh castle was laid in 1583. Due to numerous rebuilding, the palace combines many architectural styles: neo-Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Rococo, Classicism.

Because of the anti-Russian position of the castle owner in 1764 -1768, Nesvizh was occupied by Russian troops. The library, the archive and all the valuables were confiscated and taken to St. Petersburg.

Finally, the Radziwills left the castle in 1939, when the Red Army entered Nesvizh. After the Second World War, the park-palace complex came to desolation.

The restoration and restoration work started in 2004 brought this magnificent castle back to life. Nesvizh in Belarus was recognized as a cultural capital, and the palace and park complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest landscape park in Europe, laid in the 19th century, decorative lakes, shady avenues and a palace ensemble made this place very popular with tourists.

Brest Castle

Belarus has become famous throughout the world for the fortitude of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, located in the south, near the border with Poland. Brest itself has almost a thousand-year history. The geographic situation has caused numerous wars that have passed on this earth. The Brest Castle survived many sieges, as a result it was almost completely destroyed. Some of its bastions were used in the construction of the fortress of the same name.

The photo above shows the Kholm Gate of the Brest Fortress.

Historians and archaeological groups are working on finding the remains of the castle itself. As a result of excavations in the Volyn fortification, the support wall of a bastion built in the 16th or 17th centuries was found. The very same residence of the rulers of those times archaeologists still hope to discover.

Legends of the Golshansky Castle

In the small town of Golshany there are the ruins of a once grand palace, which belonged to the noble genus Sapere. Its outlines are similar to the Mir Castle. The architectural complex, which is a bright representative of the work of Dutch architects, was built by Pavel Sapega in 1610. Today from its former greatness there are only ruins. Strong destruction occurred during the last two wars.

Nevertheless, Golshany Castle is very popular with tourists. Many are attracted by the aura of mystery and numerous legends that have survived to this day.

According to one of them, in the ruins of the mill, located at the very beginning of the town, at night one can hear the grind of the millstones, the neighing of horses and the voice of the chief miller. As far as this is true, you can check it yourself by visiting Holstein Castle.

Bykhov Fortress

In Mogilev region in the town of Bykhov there is the only fortress in Belarus that has survived to this day. The first mention of it dates from the 14th century. It was then that the first fortifications appeared . Bykhov, surrounded by a rampart with bastions and a deep moat, was famous for its inaccessibility. The castle itself was built in the 17th century under Jan Karol Hadkiewicz, who used it as a country residence on the right bank of the Dnieper River. In 1619 the construction of the castle was completely completed.

Since then, he has experienced many military battles. Peter the First twice besieged the fortress Bykhov. In the early 18th century, the castle fell under the pressure of the Russian tsar. Entering the Russian Empire, Bykhov lost his strategic purpose, having become, like many castles in Byelorussia, a historical architectural monument.

Today, from its former glory, fragments remain. The regional government developed a plan for the restoration of a unique architectural structure, the cost of restoration will be borne not only by local, but also by the republican budgets. While the travelers can see only the ruins of the great castle of Sapieha.

Castles in Belarus open for tourists a rich historical event for the people of this country whose spirit has not been broken by numerous wars and woes. The preservation and restoration of the castles of Belarus is evidence that the peaceful and freedom-loving Belarusian people remember the history of their ancestors.