The castles of Belarus, which are visited by tourists, are very easy to find on the map so that, for example, you can go there on a self-guided tour. Personally, it was more convenient for me to do this in a rented car in Minsk. Therefore, having drawn up a rough route, I set off on an exciting trip into the historical past.
Belarus is an amazing country with ancient castles towering on its land, striking with their exclusive architectural beauty.
Numerous wars, which at different times took place on the territory of modern Belarus, had a very serious and significant impact on urban planning. To protect residents and their homes, special defensive structures were required: towers, fortresses, castles.
The predecessors of the first castles were fortifications: Slavic defensive fortifications.
The first stone fortifications began to appear in the 13th century. Medieval castles were built in places convenient for defense: “mountain” in the hills and “valley” in the lowlands.
It has been standing in the west of Belarus for more than 700 years - one of the very first representatives of such massive structures.
Such stone giants became widespread in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Then the construction of castles and fortified temples-fortresses began, such as, for example, the church of the revered St. Archangel Michael in Synkovichi.
According to one of the existing legends, it was founded by the Lithuanian prince Vytautas, who in these places managed to successfully hide from the persecution of his brother and enemy Jagiello.
Today this active church is widely known to everyone, thanks to the miraculous icon stored in it, dedicated to the Mother of God “The Tsarina of All”. This face was painted on the holy Greek Mount Athos and has amazing healing powers. This is evidenced by the gold and silver jewelry that people praying for health left here in gratitude for their healing. Read all the details in.
Lev Sapega - founder of the Ruzhany Palace
Ruins in Ruzhany
At the very end of the 16th century, in the small Belarusian town of Ruzhany, the famous Lithuanian figure Lev Sapieha began large-scale construction of his castle, in which he skillfully combined the features of a defensive structure and the splendor of the palace. In this estate he received important guests: the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the King of Poland...
In the huge halls of the palace they not only drank, ate and danced, but also provided food for the mind. The magnificent, versatile palace library consisted of 3 thousand volumes, which for that time was unusual and very large.
But the main pride of Ruzhany was the court theater of 60 artists and 40 musicians. The theater building itself, the only one in Europe, had an original plan, which made it possible to change the stage scenery several times during one performance.
Unfortunately, over the years, as a result of all the wars, the luxurious palace was destroyed and only now work has begun on restoring this castle in Belarus. But part of the complex is already ready and welcoming guests. See all details.
Ruins in Golshany
There are many ancient castles in Belarus. Some are partially preserved, while others are only ruins. There is, for example, the Golshansky Sapega Castle. According to legend, the owner of the castle decided to build a monastery on the territory of his property and hired builders for this. Three walls of the building were built, but the fourth was constantly being destroyed.
And then the builders swore that they would wall up the very first woman who appeared near the construction site into this unruly wall. The young mason's wife came first - she brought her husband lunch. Local residents still say that they see the ghost of a girl near the castle walls.
Kings without a crown - the life of the Radziwill Family
Mir Castle - a “modest dacha” that evokes the admiration of kings
The exact date of the start of construction of another monument of our architecture is unknown: Mir Castle. Yuri Ilyinich laid the foundation for the construction, and the Radziwills continued it.
According to legend, two castles - Nesvizh and Mir - are connected by a wide underground road, along which you can get from one castle to another in an hour by horse-drawn carriage.
At the invitation of one of the Radziwills, Pane Kohanka, about whose eccentricities there are many rumors, the King of Poland Stanislav Augustus visited the Mir Castle. Arriving at the castle, he looked with delight and admiration at the rich decoration of the numerous palace halls.
After the Radziwills, the castle was owned by Prince Nikolai Svyatopolk-Mirsky. He decided to completely change the appearance of his new possessions. On the site of a blooming garden, he ordered a pond to be dug, for which, according to legend, he was cursed by a local witch.
Read a detailed story about the Mir Castle in Belarus and its fortress labyrinths in.
Kossovo - the castle of dreams and dreams
Another Belarusian pearl is located in. “Knightly Dreams” - this is how the palace of the Puslovsky counts was called for its fantastic beauty and incomparable luxury.
The architecture of the palace estate is unique. Its 12 towers tell the story of the 12 months of the year, the castle has many delightful halls, and each has a unique purpose and its own name.
So, in the Pink Hall, the owner’s family and his guests listened to music; only men were allowed into the Black Hall, because cards were played there. And they danced in the White Hall. It was noisy, fun, the air was filled with flirtation and love.
And in the Main Hall, under the transparent glass floor, important and eminent guests were surprised by live swimming fish. According to legend, a lion lived in the castle. The owners let him out of his cage at night so that he could take a quiet walk, stretch his paws and, if something happened, protect the house from thieves.
There was a “musical wall” in the palace; if you touched it, you could hear a response sound in all rooms. Now the castle is being restored, its reconstruction is being carried out by professionals. But even the already restored part and ruins attract attention with their grandeur.
By 2018, the castle will be restored to its former, breathtaking beauty, and it will solemnly and hospitably open its artfully decorated, beautiful doors to you.
Fortress in Brest
Of course, it is impossible to bypass another fortification of Belarus, which became more famous in history already in the 20th century. We are talking about the legendary Brest Fortress.
The beginning of its creation dates back to the first half of the 19th century. It was then that the small city of Brest-Litovsk became part of the Russian state, and like any border point it needed a protective structure.
Perhaps the fortress in Brest would not have become so famous today. But the Second World War glorified this place with the feat of Soviet soldiers who steadfastly and courageously held the defense, not giving up until their death.
Read a detailed story about the Brest Fortress in.
Tourist Belarus is waiting for you to visit
Visit the castles of Belarus. Here, with the help of knowledgeable and loving guides or more versatile audio guides, you can touch the past, imagine what people did then, what they dreamed about. Imagine how ladies in luxurious dresses danced the Allemande or Minuet at luxurious balls. And elegant gentlemen gave them flowers and declared their love.
And after a year or two, one of them became your great-great-grandfather or great-great-grandmother. And you are now touching objects that they touched. All this is quite possible. Take the same exciting journey as I did through the wonderful places of the country of Belarus, covered in the secrets of the past! You won't regret it - I promise!
And in order to make it easier for you to navigate the space, I have collected all these castles of Belarus on the map. Next to each of them there is a name and photo, and a detailed description can be found by following the link provided there.
In Belarus, in any city, there is a huge number of different housing options. It’s very easy to rent an apartment or room on the service, or book a hotel through the service.
The map below shows other sights of Belarus that I was able to visit. You can see more about this.
posted November 10, 2011 at 12:54 amHello everyone! Not a bad comment about the trip. But then
that you saw dust in your eyes regarding the standard of living and the neatness and cleanliness of the streets.
This is by no means the merit of Old Man, as you put it. These are people in Belarus (particularly Western)
It’s not to say that the mentality is more like education from childhood. You should have seen the villages in the Mogilev, Vitebsk, Gomel regions
If you go, drive past Mogilev towards Cherikov, and look at the villages in the city.
in the Vitebsk region you will most likely drive through Klyastitsy, turn onto Rossony - there is something to see there
on the roads (, on dying villages. In Rossony there is a pioneer house - a former estate. Rossony is the birthplace of Masherov, a beautiful restored church.
near Slavgorod, Mogilev region, there is a forest village where there is a chapel-mausoleum.
My uncle himself comes to Grodno from St. Petersburg to visit us - he has no joy from our life from within.
for some reason he feels freer in St. Petersburg? If anyone wants to talk, I’m waiting, I can tell you something about GRODNO.
church, churches, pharmacy-museum, synagogue, KALOZHA, two castles, a museum of the history of religion, a history museum, a craftsman's house, several princely palaces, the historical center of the city, a little-known Grodno fortress, forts from Sopotskino to Odelsk (in my opinion, better than the Brest ones ), a palace in the village of Svyatsk, 15 km from the city, the Ozheshko house-museum, the Bogdanovich house-museum, the Tyzengauz palace complex, the drama theater (now a puppet theater), the Red Star cinema (opened in 1914 as "Etna") "Swiss Valley".
Regarding Ivya, as far as I know, this mosque is the only one in Belarus built around the 16th century, because many Tatars settled there. Someday, go to the village of Svir, there are interesting buildings there (I don’t remember exactly). Glubokoe. Thank you for your attention.
You probably considered me a narrow-minded person, since you explain to me about dust in my eyes. I perfectly understand the difficulties of Belarusians. Old Man’s merit is that he did not allow the budget to be stolen, at least on such a scale as in Russia, by allocating funds for the restoration of monuments. And the fact that he has not yet given up Belarusian enterprises to Russian thieves (oligarchs). Your country has no energy resources. The products of Belarusian enterprises cannot compete with European products. There was a problem with the sales market. In Soviet times, we (Russians) tried to buy a Belarusian refrigerator and TV. Now we are trying to purchase Japanese or European products. I don’t see Father’s guilt in this.
Regarding your uncle from St. Petersburg. Yes, in Russia you can loudly say “I hate Putin” without consequences. But this will not abolish serfdom. The fed parliament will still pass laws to please a small group of people, for example, insurers and food manufacturers (mandatory certification of food products has been abolished), with which they poison us, adding cheap ingredients to them - trans fats, palm oil and other rubbish. The course taken by Education Minister Fursenko to debilitate the population will be continued. An “independent” judiciary will carry out the will of the Kremlin. The budget will be cut. They will kill in the Caucasus. Belarusians are still deprived of all these “joys”. I think that many people going out to Minsk Square are not aware of who is taking them there and why. I think that the future Belarusian Abramovichs, Berezovskys, Gusinskys, Khodarkovskys are taking them there. I very much regret that in August 1991. I went out onto Palace Square. Then I was in my early 20s, and I did not understand that revolutions are conceived by romantics, carried out by fanatics, and the fruits of revolutions are enjoyed by scoundrels.
The time will probably come when on Minsk Square it will be possible to say without fear: “I hate Lukashenko.” But will ordinary Belarusians live better?
Popular castles in Belarus: modern, medieval and ancient castles. Photos of castles in Belarus.
Any UNESCO Museum Card
Today, the restored castles amaze with their grandeur, originality and, of course, the enormity of the work done.
The most important castles
In fact, in order to plunge into the romance of castles, you don’t need to go to England or Germany. Take a ticket to Belarus: today on the territory of this country there are several dozen castles that were created for the defense of cities. Few have survived over many centuries, but those that have survived reveal to us little-known pages of the history of this state. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005, Nesvizh Castle survived several wars and assaults, was destroyed, subjected to fires and was restored more than once. Today, Nesvizh Castle continues to be actively restored and is even becoming a venue for knightly festivals.
Krevsky Castle has also seen a lot in its lifetime. Within its walls, Grand Duke Keistut died, the Union of Krevo about the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland was signed, and in the 16th century it was repeatedly attacked by Tatar and Moscow troops. Over the long years of its existence, Krevsky Castle, as befits a self-respecting medieval fortress, has acquired romantic legends. One legend says that a girl of dazzling beauty was walled up alive within the walls of the castle; according to another, an underground tunnel runs under the castle, which leads to Vilna. In memory of the glorious times, ceremonial events are held annually at the Krevsky Castle with the participation of folk ensembles from Belarus and Lithuania.
History of Belarusian castles
Castles of Belarus - successors to fortifications - were usually erected on the site of important trade routes. Their construction began in the 13th century with the construction of stone fortifications; several centuries later, castle construction on the territory of the Grand Duchy became widespread. At that time, all types of fortifications, palace ensembles, and settlements of feudal lords were considered castles.
The art of building Belarusian castles can be divided into wooden and stone according to the type of materials used. Unfortunately, wooden castles have not survived to this day. Until the 15th century, in order to ensure maximum protection and inaccessibility, the construction of fortresses was carried out on hills, and from the 16th century, castles began to be built in the lowlands and acquired powerful fortress walls and towers. The oldest Belarusian castles made of stone have been preserved in Lida, Krevo, Novogrudok and Grodno. The castles in Lida and Krevo are examples of simple buildings dating back to the 14th century and built on an artificial hill; they are distinguished by massive walls and low towers. Novogrudok and Grodno castles were built in the 12th and 13th centuries, and they were rebuilt several centuries later. These castles are built on large hills and have strong and high towers.
Most Belarusian castles are concentrated in the north-west of the country, where for many centuries wars took place over the borders of the possessions of states and principalities.
In addition to protecting state borders, Belarusian fortresses also became defenders from participants in the Western crusades.
For a long time, the castles of Belarus were in a deplorable state; no one tried to restore the collapsed walls and destroyed towers, and those that survived were used for domestic or economic needs.
The restoration of Belarusian castles began not so long ago. This may be explained by the fact that, unlike Western Europe, local castles were not considered luxurious and prestigious buildings, but were erected only for defensive purposes, performing utilitarian functions. Today, the restored castles amaze with their grandeur, originality and, of course, the enormity of the work done.
In the castles of Belarus, everything is imbued with a medieval atmosphere; the breath of antiquity is especially keenly felt. Walking through spacious ancient rooms filled with centuries-old history, tourists, like a time machine, find themselves in the distant past, where everyone can imagine themselves as whatever they want: a wise monk, a formidable prince, a charming court lady or a care-weary servant.
Do you love ancient castles? If yes, then for the romance that envelops these ancient buildings, you don’t need to go far, to old Europe, just come to friendly neighboring Belarus. There are several dozen ancient castles there, created in the Middle Ages for the defense of cities. Few castles have survived well over the long centuries of their life, and they are happy to open their doors to numerous tourists from different countries, telling them about many little-known pages of the history of Belarus. As you already understand, the article is devoted to the most interesting castles and fortresses of Belarus.
The castles of Belarus became the successors of ancient settlements, which were built on the site of the main trade routes. The construction of castles began on the territory of Belarus in the thirteenth century, with the construction of rough stone defensive fortifications, but only over time, castle construction on the territory of the Grand Duchy became a widespread phenomenon. Castles in those years were any fortifications, from majestic palace ensembles to modest settlements of feudal lords. The art of constructing Belarusian castles lived through two stages: wooden and stone, that is, according to the type of materials used in construction. But wooden Belarusian castles have not survived to this day, but stone ones greet tourists in all their splendor. It must be said that mainly castles are concentrated in the north-west of Belarus, that is, in places where constant wars took place over the borders of local states and principalities. There was a long period when the castles and fortresses of Belarus were in a deplorable state: collapsed, destroyed, no one wanted to restore them, and those that survived were used for domestic and economic needs. The period of restoration of castles in this country began recently, but even today, the restored ancient buildings amaze travelers who come on vacation to Belarus with their grandeur, originality and grandeur; everything here is imbued with a medieval atmosphere.
Nesvizh Castle Belarus - one of the most beautiful sights of the country, the former residence of the richest family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - the Radziwills. In ancient years, this castle was the most powerful and most advanced fortification of the country. By the way, Nesvizh Castle is deservedly called the ancestor of all bastion structures in Belarus. It, together with the large palace park surrounding it, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But let's start with the history of its origin. It is worth saying that the Radziwill family owned numerous lands located on the territory of modern Belarus. It all started at the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Radziwill the Black divided his possessions between his three sons into three main primordates, the center of which was in the city of Nesvizh, and he then passed into the possession of his eldest son, Nicholas Christopher, whom everyone knew under the nickname “Orphan” . This heir spent many years traveling around the countries of Europe and the Middle East, and once in Italy, he was so amazed by Italian military architecture that upon returning home in 1581, the prince gave the order to build a new stone castle on the site of the ruins of a wooden castle, once burned by enemies. , which would become an impregnable fortress and structure worthy of the name of the Radziwill family. Construction began in the spring of 1583, under the direction of the architect Giovanni Bernardonia from Italy, and lasted seven years. And so, on the right bank of the fast river Usha, a powerful fortress arose, which was surrounded by a wide moat, and a long wooden bridge led to the castle, which was quickly dismantled if necessary. For a whole century, Nesvizh Castle was the most advanced military fortification of the country; it withstood many attacks with honor, but in 1706, during the assault by the troops of the Swedish king Charles the Twelfth, its defensive bastions were blown up and its property was plundered. Only a decade later, the restoration of the stronghold began; it was carried out by local architects, under the vigilant leadership of the architect Zhdanovich, the Radziwill family nest was rebuilt by the middle of the eighteenth century. Its individual buildings were combined into a single whole with a huge courtyard, and a palace chapel was added. After a global renovation, the defensive castle acquired the features of a secular palace, which were completed by the creation of a beautiful palace and park ensemble - the foundation of a landscape park, which happened in 1879. Legends have long circulated about the luxury of the palace, the richness of its elegant interiors, and the countless treasures of the Radziwill family. People said that in the numerous secret places of the castle there was a treasury hidden, replenished over many centuries. In addition to money, there was a valuable collection of weapons, a collection of rare paintings, ancient books and a collection of large diamonds. And also, the treasury contained a priceless collection - figures of the twelve apostles, made of gold and silver, decorated with precious stones. There is a version that the apostles were cast by Prince Michael Kazimir Radziwill, who found a treasure of Tatar gold at the beginning of the sixteenth century. It was claimed that thanks to this find, it was possible to restore the destroyed Nesvizh Castle after the Northern War, which lasted a quarter of a century, from 1700 to 1725. Of course, the presence of such untold wealth could not help but attract robbers: they made more than once attempts to steal the “golden apostles,” which is why the original statues were safely hidden, and skillfully made wax copies were displayed in the Blue Hall, which were decorated with fake stones. Then, some time later, someone came up with the idea to place wax figures of thieves who wanted to kidnap them next to the figures of the wax apostles, and that’s exactly how the very first collection of wax figures in the whole world arose on the territory.
The power of the Radziwill family melted with the arrival of Emperor Napoleon, when the very last prince, Dominik Radziwill, who ruled Nesvizh, joined the French army in 1812. But, as everyone knows, Napoleon fled after an inglorious defeat, then was wounded and died. Nesvizh Castle found itself in the hands of more and more new owners, it was often attacked by robbers, many collections were taken away, along with important archival materials, frequent wars and uprisings occurred - all this together led to the further devastation of the magnificent Nesvizh Castle of Belarus. After the end of World War II, the castle was given over to a sanatorium, and its beautiful park fell into absolute desolation. Only in 2004 did global restoration work begin here, and in 2011 Nesvizh Castle was opened as the Nesvizh Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Today, Nesvizh Castle attracts numerous guests who come to Belarus on vacation. The castle building is a closed complex of buildings in mixed architectural styles: from Renaissance and Baroque to Art Nouveau and Neoclassicism. Tourists can visit the beautiful palace, the weapons arsenal, the southern and eastern galleries, where various educational exhibitions of different museums in Belarus are located. Nesvizh Castle is open every day from nine in the morning to six in the evening, but you can only visit it as part of a tour. Tourists are immediately warned that they can take photographs of the castle interiors, but only without using a flash. On the territory of the Nesvizh palace ensemble there is a cafe, restaurant, and hotel.
Mir Castle in Belarus- a real pearl of the country's architecture, a national monument listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the village of Mir. The castle was built in the sixteenth century, and over its five-hundred-year history has been owned by various magnate families, experiencing times of prosperity and decline. Today, it is a magnificent art museum of Belarus. But let's go back to basics. According to ancient legend, the small ancient town of Mir acquired its name thanks to the border with Lithuania passing nearby, but there is an opinion that it was named from the word “emir” when a Tatar detachment stopped nearby. The Marshal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Yuri Ilyinich, began to build his family residence here in the sixteenth century. Initially, the castle was a small square fortress, with four corner defensive towers, and the fifth tower was located above the main entrance gate. Since 1569, the fortress came into the possession of Nicholas Radziwill, a representative of the famous and wealthy princely family, and he continued construction. The eastern and northern walls were replenished with a new building - a three-story palace building. And since, by the time of the second stage of construction, the stone walls and defensive castle towers had lost their original meaning, the building became a beautiful palace. Of course, attention was paid to the elements of defense: ramparts were erected on four sides, which were crowned with quadrangular bastions. Near the northern wall a magnificent park was laid out, in the manner of parks at European palaces. A little later, glass greenhouses, fashionable at that time, were built, where exotic plants grew in tubs, which in the summer were taken out into the fresh air, into the garden. The heyday for the Mir Castle was marked by the first half of the seventeenth century, but this did not last long, and already in the second half of the same century a long period of destruction began: the war of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Moscow State, the Northern War, the Patriotic War of 1812 - all this time, the castle It was constantly ravaged by looters, so the owners did not have much hope for its restoration and began to rent out the surrounding lands. But since 1891, the lands and the castle were bought by Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky, who was the ataman of the Don Cossack Army, who believed that the name of the castle was somehow connected with his surname. This prince built a two-story palace for himself, which, however, has not survived to this day, and also founded a distillery.
There are many legends about the castle. For example, according to one of them, somewhere there is a secret underground tunnel that connects Mirsky with the Nesvizh castle located next door, and this passage is so wide that in the old days a horse-drawn troika passed through it. So far, castle researchers have been unable to confirm this version, having found nothing. Another legend tells about the curse of the Mir Castle, which has a direct connection with the landscaped castle park. They say that when a park was being laid on the site of the former garden, a lumber worker tragically died while cutting down trees, and his mother, distraught with grief, cursed these places, saying that every year a person would drown in the park pond, and this would be the payment for every tree cut down in the old garden. The first drowned victim was twelve-year-old Princess Sophia. It is not known whether there were victims every year, but there is a fact that in 1898 the body of Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky himself was found on the shore of this damned pond. After his death, his son Prince Mikhail became the heir to the castle; he began restoration work in the twenties of the twentieth century, but was never able to complete it due to the Great Depression. During the Great Patriotic War, a ghetto was located in the Mir Castle, and in the post-war years villagers lived. Only in 1987, Mir Castle was finally restored and opened as the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Today, in the “Mir” Castle Complex, there are thirty-nine exhibition and exhibition halls. Tourists who come on an excursion to the Mir castle complex have the opportunity to examine the castle itself, the old earthen ramparts, a beautiful English landscape park, a careful reconstruction of the Italian garden, a “cursed” pond, an elegant outbuilding, the ancestral church-tomb of the princely family of Svyatopolk-Mirsky, a small house watchman and roadside chapel. The ancestral chapel-tomb of Svyatopolk-Mirsky was erected in 1910, under the leadership of the architect Marfeld, he took into account the proximity of the medieval castle and did not use the traditional onion-domed shapes of the temple roofs. On the main facade of the chapel-tomb there is a beautiful mosaic panel - “Savior Pantocrator”, it is made in the Byzantine tradition, but made in St. Petersburg, in the mosaic workshop of the Frolov brothers. Next to the chapel there is a modest watchman’s house, adjoined by an entrance arch with an openwork wrought-iron gate. The museum’s exposition is also interesting; here you can see completely unique pieces of antique furniture, weapons, tapestries, etc. In the summer, medieval music festivals and art festivals are held near the walls of Mir Castle, which arouse considerable interest among foreign tourists. Mir Castle can be visited daily from ten in the morning to six in the evening, but keep in mind that the museum's ticket office is open from ten to five.
Temple-fortress of St. Michael in Belarus is a unique architectural and historical monument of Belarusian architecture and the country’s first defense-type church, built in the sixteenth century in Synkovichi. As you know, the sixteenth century went down in Belarusian history as a time of constant struggle for power of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; in addition, during this period the threat of a Tatar-Mongol invasion from the eastern lands hung over these territories. That is why, precisely in the sixteenth century, impregnable castles and fortresses began to be actively erected in large cities. But residents of small towns and villages could not begin such an expensive construction of defensive structures, so they began to strengthen existing temples in order to, if necessary, take refuge there and hold a siege. The Belarusian fortified church of St. Michael was founded in the sixteenth century, on the site of an ancient church, it was founded and consecrated by the Lithuanian prince Vytautas as a gesture of goodwill in gratitude for the miraculous salvation. This was in 1582, when he was in prison and successfully escaped, disguised as a woman. The prince was sheltered by local residents of the village of Synkovichi, and he built a fortress-church for them. After Belarus became part of the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union, the temple was used as a warehouse. But, fortunately, today it is a functioning Orthodox church, where regular services are held. According to its plan, the building of the fortress-temple is similar to ancient Byzantine-Russian churches, with thick one and a half meter walls, with round defensive towers in the corners, equipped with observation platforms, loopholes, machicolations - windows for vertical fire. And at the level of the lower tier, the three altar asps are covered by an arcature belt. The interior of the temple is represented by halls with three naves, which cover cross vaults. The underground floor of the building is occupied by a crypt; in the courtyard of the fortress-temple there is a tombstone for the wife of the rector of this church and their newborn child, who died in 1872. One of the important attractions of St. Michael's Church is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”. They say that sincere prayer at this icon has healed more than one believer from a serious illness: the first Friday of every month is dedicated to prayer for the healing of people suffering from cancer, and on every third Friday there is a prayer service for healing from drunkenness and drug addiction. The church is famous throughout Belarus for the completely unusual sound of its bells, and the acoustics here are absolutely amazing. You can visit the temple-fortress for free, but you must ask the priest for his blessing to take photographs.
Brest Fortress in Belarus - probably one of the most famous memorials not only in Belarus, but throughout the world - a symbol of the unshakable steadfastness of Soviet citizens during the bloody Second World War. It is not for nothing that the Brest Fortress was awarded the title “Hero Fortress”; many books have been written about it and films have been made. The construction of the Brest Fortress, oddly enough, began with the total destruction of the city of Brest, which happened in 1833. The Belarusian lands were annexed to the Russian Empire and the creation of a project for a reliable system of fortifications began to protect the western borders of the state. Emperor Nicholas the First ordered the ancient settlement to be moved two kilometers to the east, therefore, all churches, monasteries, parish schools, taverns, baths, and residential buildings were often dismantled, and local residents received a decent loan for the construction of their new housing. The fortress was located on four islands, which formed the branches of the Mukhavets and Western Bug rivers, as well as a canal system. The main point of defense was the Citadel, standing on an island, where a two-story closed barracks was erected, with two-meter thick walls that stretched two kilometers in length. The three islands of the Citadel were connected by drawbridges. At the end of the nineteenth century, the fortress complex was surrounded by a thirty-two kilometer defensive ring of forts. At the beginning of the twentieth century, construction began on the second ring of defensive fortifications, which was never completed due to the First World War. From 1915 to 1918, the Brest Fortress in Belarus was occupied by the Germans, then by the Poles, who placed a political prison in it. The Second World War began, and the very next day - September 2, 1939, Brest and the fortress, including, were bombed. The Poles managed to hold this citadel for two weeks, although all of Brest was already occupied by the Germans, whose forces outnumbered the Poles several times. Having captured the fortress, the Germans handed it over to the Red Army, and the city of Brest became part of the USSR. But with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, already at dawn on the twenty-second of June 1941, the Brest Fortress was struck by the very first insidious blow of the Nazis. The 9,000-strong garrison of the fortress held a perimeter defense for more than a month, surrounded by superior forces of the German army, whose number reached seventeen thousand people. The last centers of resistance were destroyed at the end of August 1941, before the arrival of Hitler himself; to eliminate the last defenders of the Brest Fortress, its basements were flooded with water. They say that Hitler, who visited the fortress, took a stone from its ruins and kept it in his office until the very end of the war. The Brest Fortress in Belarus was almost completely destroyed, and in 1971, a memorial memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” was opened on its territory, but it was never restored: in order to perpetuate in the memory of descendants the immortal feat of the Brest defenders, the remaining structures preserved as ruins. The total area of the Brest Fortress is four square kilometers: in its eastern part there is a memorial complex with a sculptural and archaeological ensemble, including all the surviving structures, ruins, ramparts and modern monuments. The main passage to the territory is an opening made in the shape of a five-pointed star in a reinforced concrete monolith resting on the rampart and walls of the casemates. There is a board installed here with a text about conferring the honorary title of “hero” on the Brest Fortress. From the main entrance, the alley goes across the bridge to the Ceremonial Square, where public events are held. On the left side of the bridge there is a sculptural composition “Thirst”, depicting a warrior stretching his helmet towards the water. Adjacent to this square is the museum building, as well as the ruins of the White Palace. The center of the complex is the “Courage” monument, presented in the form of a bust of a warrior and an obelisk bayonet. On the reverse side of this monument, bas-reliefs depict some episodes of the heroic defense of the fortress, and next to it stands a tribune with a three-tier necropolis, in which the remains of eight hundred and fifty people found rest. On the memorial plaques you can read the names of two hundred and twenty-four fighters. Next to the ruins the Eternal Flame burns and the words are written: “We stood to the death, glory to the heroes,” and nearby there is a site for “hero cities” where there are capsules filled with the soil of the listed cities. You can get to the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex every day from nine to six, except the last Tuesday of every month.
Despite the rather turbulent past of the history of Belarus: wars, destruction, and other misfortunes, many of its architectural treasures have survived and to this day delight tourists, telling the story of this heroic country. Therefore, when visiting Belarus, be sure to look at its magnificent fortresses and castles.
Wednesday – arrival in Minsk, meeting at the station near carriage No. 5 of your train with a yellow sign “WHITE Rus' tour”, transfer to the hotel, check-in at the hotel (from 00.10). Issuance of an information package (memo with a detailed program, map of Minsk). Breakfast buffet.
10.00 Excursion Sula - Rubezhevichi (8 hours). Manor and park complex “Sula History Park”, created on the site of the estate of the Lensky noble family, it captivates with the colors of nature and ancient buildings, which received a modern purpose after restoration, but also retained the charm of the former architectural forms. The interactive format of the excursion will allow you to turn from a passive listener into an active participant. At the entrance to the estate, an equestrian escort of riders in historical costumes greets with music. And then the journey through the centuries begins: megalithic culture, the site of an ancient man, wooden idols of ancient gods, a Viking settlement - the whole history of these places on the grounds of the History Park! You will even make your impromptu journey “from the Varangians to the Greeks” on the Viking boat - the Sul DRAKKAR! And immersion in the medieval history of Belarus, when Belarus was called the country of castles, begins with an inspection of the castle, built from hewn rubble stone Sula Castle, built according to all the fortification rules of the Middle Ages. Then a visit to the weapons workshop - forging of bladed weapons and a demonstration of saber fighting. Next, the majestic building of the “Royal Assembly” will open to your eyes, where you will see the hall of knightly glory with a collection of tapestries and paintings; The truly royal-sized fireplace also attracts attention. Performing musical works on the bagpipe and harmonium of the 18th century, learning the dance will add color to the excursion. When visiting the brewery and tasting of strong drinks we will talk about the traditions of food and drink, which have been polished in Belarusian estates for centuries. And you can learn about the rich history of Lensky during visiting the Lenski Museum, inspection of the manor house and chapel in the form of an antique rotunda temple. A visit to this estate will be an immersion into a charming world, where the lines between the material and the spiritual are blurred, and the lost connection with the past is restored. The leisurely flow of the Sula River running through the park, flowing into a deep and clear lake, and many colorful buildings on a vast territory will allow you to take wonderful photographs; and in conclusion - LUNCH in a picturesque restaurant.
Next we go to the former place Rubezhevichi, known since the 13th century. The name Rubezhevichi comes from the word “border” - the place has repeatedly found itself at the border of one or another state. In the Middle Ages, the eastern border of Lithuania passed here; and until 1939, beyond Rubezhevichi the border between Poland and the Soviet Union extended. In Rubezhevichi there is an old pharmacy of medicinal herbs, called the Belarusian herbal medicine mecca. An ancient Jewish cemetery has been preserved here, restored by the whole world - with the participation of US students. Constructed from hewn squares of limestone and proudly placed on a hillock, the two-tower Church of St. Joseph immediately captures the attention of visitors. An organ composition within its walls will complete our journey into the past, discovered today... Overnight in Minsk
