Mir Castle in Belarus - the embodiment of history in stone

Mir Castle is located in the town of Mir. It is located in the Grodno region. This unique architectural monument is a defensive structure. Until 1568 the owners were Ilinichi, then - until 1828 - the Radziwills. After them Wittgensteins were the masters of the residence until 1891. The last owners of the castle complex were Svyatopolk-Mirskie. After that, Mir Castle, the photo of which is presented below, was transferred to state ownership.

General information

The architectural complex is considered to be one of the largest and cult objects among all preserved samples of the original Gothic of the Republic of Belarus. Mir Castle is a square structure with sides of about 75 meters in length and towers located in the corners. Their height is 25-27 meters. At the initial stages of construction, which lasted about 4 years, four towers were built, joined together by walls. Mir Castle has an original layout. The towers are made in the form of octagonal prisms, which are in turn mounted on tetrahedral prisms. The height of the walls varies - from 10 to 12 meters. On the west side (on the road to Vilna) there is one tower, located in the middle. At one time it was the only entrance to the courtyard of the castle, and in its basement was a prison. The chapel was located on the second floor of the tower. It was from here that the metal lattice descended , which protected the wooden entrance gates.

Chronology of events

The architectural complex took part in almost all military events, which at one time flashed by a fiery whirlwind through the Belarusian land. The chronology begins with the Russo-Polish battle (1654-1667) and ends with the Russo-French War (1812). During this time, the religious structure was repeatedly subjected to storming and siege. Especially deplorable for the architectural monument were 1665 and 1706 years. At this time, he was severely damaged. At the beginning of the XVIII century Mir Castle was restored, and in 1784 again damaged. In 1812, at the walls of the castle complex, a battle took place, in which cavalry Davout (the French marshal) and the rearguard of the 2nd Russian army Platov took part. Since 1989, the masterpiece of original Gothic art is a branch of the National Art Museum in the Republic of Belarus. At the beginning of the XXI century, a grandiose reconstruction of the complex unfolded. It is worth noting that the architectural monument remains open to visitors. For information, an excursion to Mir Castle costs from 120 000 bel. rub. (About 400 Russian). In 2001, the architectural complex was awarded the status of an independent museum.

Mir Castle: history

The architectural complex is a stone structure, the main part of which was erected in the 16th-17th centuries. According to some scientists and researchers, earlier on this place was the estate of feudal lords. The castle itself is surrounded by a flat territory, and next to it the Miranka River flows. The exact date of the construction of the monument is still unknown. However, there are suggestions that its construction began not earlier than 1522-th year. It was then that the owner of the local territories, Yury Ilinich, regulated his commodity-property relations with Litavor Khreptovich.

Why erected this structure?

Scientists still can not come to a common opinion about the original purpose of building a castle. However, it can be assumed that the Gothic structure was erected from considerations of prestige, especially if we take into account the fact that the village of Mir was at that time considered quite a quiet place. Nevertheless, the thickness of the walls of the castle (2 m on the top and 3 m on the bottom), as well as a special three-layer mixed masonry made of brick and stone indicate a good defense capability of the entire complex. In the lower part of the facade, gun loopholes are cut. The western and northern walls housed battle galleries with strong pine parapets. Unfortunately, the first owners of the complex - Ilinichi - could not complete the construction, since their family was interrupted in 1568. The new owners - the Radziwills - have resumed the project. Due to their activities, the external appearance of the structure has acquired characteristic features of the Renaissance. Nicholas Christopher Orphan made a special contribution to the life of the Mir Castle. Being in the possession of the Radziwill family, the complex included a 3-storeyed palace, designed by Martin Zaborovsky.

The fate of the architectural monument

In 1655 the building was taken by Cossacks under the leadership of Hetman Ivan Zolotarenko. After that, the battle with Russia, and then the Northern War for almost 80 years brought destruction and desolation. Only by the 30th years of the 18th century the cult structure was restored, after which a ceremonial hall, a portrait gallery and a room for dances appeared in it. Restoration has not bypassed and the "Italian garden". In 1785, King Stanislaw August arrived in Mir Castle. He was subdued by the beauty and richness of the interior of the palace. In 1813 the last prince died in France, inheriting the property of the Radziwills, Dominic Geronim. His daughter - Princess Stephanie - became the wife of Lev Wittgenstein. He got the Mir castle by heredity. After the death of Stephanie, Leo Wittgenstein moved to Germany. His son, being childless, transferred the architectural complex to the possession of his sister Mary. But she could not be the owner of real estate under the law. As a result, the complex was sold to Prince Nikolai Svyatopolk-Mirsky. The newly-minted owner began a grandiose reconstruction.

Postwar years

After the annexation of the Western part of Byelorussia to the USSR in 1939, the architectural pearl was nationalized. Until 1941 it housed a production artel, and during the Nazi occupation - a ghetto for Jews and a camp for the captured military. After the liberation of Belarus until 1956, civilians lived in the complex. This partially affected the interior decoration of the palace. Since 1947 the building is under state protection.

Architectural complex today

The Mir Castle is the brightest landmark of the Republic of Belarus with a well-developed tourist infrastructure. In addition, all sorts of cultural events are held at its walls: knight fights, festivals and concerts, scientific conferences and theatrical performances. The castle complex is one of the most popular places that foreign tourists visit with pleasure.