Polotsk centre of Christianity polotsk duchy skorina polotsk st sofia cathedral

Turbulent history

Polotsk centre of Christianity polotsk duchy skorina polotsk st sofia cathedral

Turov

Nesvizh  beautiful palace 2012 capital of culture radziwil familymany styles

We know Belarus as the land at the crossroads of Europe, as a blue-eyed country and as a country beneath white wings. But also we know Belarus as a country of castles. There were more than 200 castles in Middle Ages but because of numerous wars and attacks they all were almost destroyed. There are only some of them which exist till our days. For example, the Neswizh castle, the Mir castle the Lida castle and the Navahrudak castle.

The 1^st castle I’d like to mention is the Neswizh castle. The 1^st time Neswizh was mentioned as a town with strong fortifications in the chronicles of 1224. Neswizh and its renowned castle were built in a comparatively short period of time (1584 - 1616), with the help of some Italian architects and taking into account all the latest means of protection. There were stone gates with towers in different parts of a town. The towers looked like fortresses which were intended to protect the town from different directions. Next to the towers there was also a dam that made up a lake.

In 16^th century Neswizh faced difficult times due to war campaigns of the Swedish king Karl XII.

Only in 1726 Prince Michael Radzivill began to take care of his estate and his land again. His wife, Franzishka Ursula, established a theatre in Neswizh. Then his descendant, Karol Stanislav, rolled the castle in luxury and decorated with art and science.

Nowadays the Radzivills’ heritage consists of the palace, a church and a number of parks.

As for the latter, they create the unique green attraction of Neswizh, along with the mysterious magic mirror-like ponds.

Neswizh is our national heritage. It’s one of the most magnificent regional centres in Minsk region with its remarkable history, tremendous castle, old parks and artificial ponds.

The nest castle is the Mir Castle. The castle was founded in no way earlier than in 1510. The castle was mentioned in the so-called “litovskaya metrica” in 1531 for the 1^st time.

Now it looks like a square-planned building with towers at the corners. The 5^th tower had a draw-bridge which could urgently stop a sudden attack. The castle was well adapted for gunshot defense.

Since 1568 the Mir castle was owned by the Radzivills who finished its building in Renaissance style. A three-stored palace was constructed along the eastern and northern walls. Its plastered facades were decorated with plates, balconies, porches etc. Earth walls were made around the castle with bastions at the corners: a water moat surrounded them. To the north of the walls an Italian garden was laid, to the south – an artificial lake.

This lake has a notorious glory The last owner ordered to cut down the apple garden which was where the lake is now. Since the cut-down the trees revenge people – each year a man sinks in the lake.

The castle saw very hard times. A long -time Swedish siege took place in 1655 and in 1705 the Swedish troops stormed the palace and burnt all the facilities to ashes which had been so carefully restored some 20 years earlier. Then there followed Souvorov’s troops storm. The most dangerous ordeal was the Great patriotic war of 1812 with its severe battles between the Russian and the French troops in July and November. The palace was burnt again and the fortifications were destroyed. After it no significant events took place at the Mir castle and it surroundings.

Only after 1891 the new owners of it began to formulate a new palace park ensemble. The main structural and picturesque component of the landscape was a large water reservoir with an island made in 1896-1898. The ensemble was completed with the burial chapel. During the 2^nd world war it was a ghetto. Al the moment the castle is under reconstruction.