Mir Castle

Mir, Belarus

The Mir (Mirsky) Castle Complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Duke Yuri Ilyinich began construction of the castle near the village of Mir after the turn of the 16th century in the Gothic architectural style. Five towers surrounded the courtyard of the citadel, the walls of which formed a square of 75 meters on each side. In 1568, when the Ilyinich dynasty died out, the Mir Castle passed into the hands of Mikołaj Krzysztof 'the Orphan' Radziwiłł, who refitted it with a two-winged, three-story stately residence along the eastern and northern inner walls of the castle. Plastered facades were decorated with limestone portals, plates, balconies and porches in the Renaissance style.

In 1817, after the castle had been abandoned for nearly a century and had suffered severe damage in the Napoleonic wars, owner Dominik Hieronim Radziwiłł died of battle injuries and the castle passed to his daughter Stefania, who married Ludwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Later the castle became a possession of their daughter Maria, who married Prince Chlodwig Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.

Their son, Maurice Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, sold the castle to Nikolai Sviatopolk-Mirski, of the Bialynia clan, in 1895. Nikolaj's son Michail began to rebuild the castle according to the plans of architect Teodor Bursze. The Sviatopolk-Mirski family owned the castle until 1939, when the Soviet Union occupied eastern Poland.

When German forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 they occupied the castle and converted it to a ghetto for the local Jewish population, prior to their liquidation. Between 1944 and 1956, the castle was used as a housing facility, resulting in damage to the castle's interior.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

Čyrvonaarmiejskaja vulica, Mir, Belarus
See all sites in Mir

Details

Founded: c. 1520
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belarus

More Information

darkwing.uoregon.edu
www.belarus.by
whc.unesco.org
en.wikipedia.org
www.mirzamak.by

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Nesvizh Castle (29,3 km)
Corpus Christi Church (29,2 km)
Nesvizh Town Hall (29,3 km)
Lubcha Castle (42,8 km)

User Reviews

Siarhei Krukouski (8 months ago)
More than 500 years old huge and powerfull Noble castle with a collection of artifacts inside from the UNESCO heritage list with 3 ancient churches will impress you with amazing spirit of brave middle ages - the time of honest knights and incredible ladies.
Peter Mikhail (11 months ago)
A wonderful thing about Belarus management of such landmarks, is that they turn whole area into an open museum, with all its lakes, fields, trees and animals. The place is full of history, arts and beauty of both architecture and nature.
Aliaksei Kazliak (11 months ago)
Great place to see a piece of history, how it could look centuries ago. Highly recommended for visitors to stay at the hotel in the castle for at least one night - an unforgettable experience. The museum is also not bad, just take a guided tour, it's cheap but really worth it.
Jordan S (15 months ago)
I tried to walk every square inch of this awesome place
Vladislav Goman (17 months ago)
Nice and comfy place to get acquainted with Belarusian history. This castle is one of a plenty reconstructed and well saved ones in Belarus. The service is hospitable and responsive. It may take you up to 3-5 hours to discover this place. So it's definitely a must visit! Discover also Nesvizh castle that is not far away from that one. Do not forget to take a walkie outside the castle. Nature and the lake around that place are magnificent.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights
Photo from Flickr, copyright saxuisse

Historic Site of the week

Les Invalides

Les Invalides is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building"s original purpose. The buildings house the Musée de l"Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d"Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France"s war heroes, notably Napoleon Bonaparte.

Louis XIV initiated the project in 1670, as a home and hospital for aged and unwell soldiers: the name is a shortened form of hôpital des invalides. The architect of Les Invalides was Libéral Bruant. The enlarged project was completed in 1676, the river front measured 196 metres and the complex had fifteen courtyards. Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aged Bruant, and the chapel was finished in 1679 to Bruant"s designs after the elder architect"s death.

Shortly after the veterans" chapel was completed, Louis XIV commissioned Mansart to construct a separate private royal chapel referred to as the Église du Dôme from its most striking feature. Inspired by St. Peter"s Basilica in Rome, the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture. The domed chapel is centrally placed to dominate the court of honour. It was finished in 1708.

Because of its location and significance, the Invalides served as the scene for several key events in French history. On 14 July 1789 it was stormed by Parisian rioters who seized the cannons and muskets stored in its cellars to use against the Bastille later the same day. Napoleon was entombed under the dome of the Invalides with great ceremony in 1840. In December 1894 the degradation of Captain Alfred Dreyfus was held before the main building, while his subsequent rehabilitation ceremony took place in a courtyard of the complex in 1906.

The building retained its primary function of a retirement home and hospital for military veterans until the early twentieth century. In 1872 the musée d"artillerie (Artillery Museum) was located within the building to be joined by the Historical Museum of the Armies in 1896. The two institutions were merged to form the present musée de l"armée in 1905. At the same time the veterans in residence were dispersed to smaller centres outside Paris. The reason was that the adoption of a mainly conscript army, after 1872, meant a substantial reduction in the numbers of veterans having the twenty or more years of military service formerly required to enter the Hôpital des Invalides. The building accordingly became too large for its original purpose. The modern complex does however still include the facilities detailed below for about a hundred elderly or incapacitated former soldiers.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.