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Mir Castle Complex
| Address: | Mir, Korelichski district, Grodno Region |
| Telephone: | (+375-1596) 2-30-35, 2-35-56 |
| Fax: | (+375-1596) 2-30-35, 2-35-56 |
| Description: | Profiled on postcards, calendars and souvenirs, the Castle of Mir is justly regarded the call card of Belarus. |
| City: | Mir |
| Arcitectual style: | Gothic , Renaissance |
| Age of building / reconstruction: | XVI |
Profiled on postcards, calendars and souvenirs, the Castle of Mir is justly regarded the call card of Belarus.
As the legend goes, the fortress in the Borough of Mir on the River Miryanka has been around since the time immemorial. Nobody knows for sure as to who built it. The local people say the citadel was erected by mysterious hero warriors, while the historians claim the castle was built by an unknown local architect by order of the Brest Mayor — a Courtier Marshal with the Great Duchy of Lithuania Yuri Ilyinich.
The castle of Mir was being built since 1522 till 1526 at the site of a former wooden farmstead.
The Ilyinich Family had been owning the castle till 1568 until the Radziwills took over ownership.
Since the late 18-th century the castle had been property of the Gogengoe Count Family. The last private owners of the citadel the Prince Swiatopolk of Mir and his family. Their time in the castle lasted since the middle of the 19th century till the year 1939, when Western Belarus was annexed to the Soviet Union.
The Castle of Mir was intended as a stronghold with 10-metre-high towers, 2-metre-thick walls, and earth mounds around the castle walls. The towers were adapted for using heavy artillery.
Amid all-destructing wars, the castle managed to withstand the assaults by the Swedish and Polish troops.
After WWII the castle long hosted local residents, whose houses had been destroyed. After that the castle used to host a military garrison.
It was not until the year 1983 when they started slow-paced restoration works.
On November 29 2000 the castle the surrounding territory was included into the UNESCO World Heritage Register.
The 16th century castle amazes people by its might, terse forms, harmonious defence architecture.
The towers of the castle are very close in style and differ in their appearance. The fifth tower is regarded the most graceful. It used to have a drawbridge and a forged grate to stop unexpected assaults.
There is a integrated programme to renovate the castle that spans 2010. According to the plan, in early 2007 they are opening a restaurant and a hotel in one part of the castle.
The castle regularly hosts knight tournaments, Mikhail Finberg’s Art Festival, Song of the Year music festival.
Useful links:
Tours and excursions:
Other objects from the section «Castles and fortresses»
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