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.

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Address

Čyrvonaarmiejskaja vulica, Mir, Belarus
See all sites in Mir

Details

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

More Information

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

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

Nataniel Ciekawy (21 months ago)
The Mir Castle Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus. It is in the town of Mir, in the Kareličy District of the Hrodna voblast, at 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west of another World Heritage site, Niasviž Castle. Mir Castle Complex is 164 metres (538 ft) above sea level. From 1921 to 1939 the castle belonged to the territory of Poland.
Gustavo Camin (21 months ago)
Very good energy and it a beautiful place. After the visit I strongly recommend you to try Draniki at the Lixtarik 1876.
Alesia Goborova (2 years ago)
The best reserved Castle in Belarusian, Grodno region. It's worth to visit and feel history as is
Iris T. Veldwijk (2 years ago)
Aesthetically pleasing castle
Gelo Petsvona (2 years ago)
The place is fine, there is really nothing to see there. I would say you can visit it if you are in the area or with the kids that love to climb the narrow stairs. I think the highlight is the show in the court yard with all kind of old weapons (if they are there).
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