Ruzhany Palace Ruins

Ruzany, Belarus

Ruzhany Palace is a ruined palace which was between the 16th and 19th centuries the main seat of the senior line of the Sapieha noble family. Ruzhany began its life in the late 16th century as the site of Lew Sapieha's castle, the palace being completed in 1602. The Sapieha residence was destroyed in the course of the internecine strife in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania when it was attacked by Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki's forces in 1700.

Ruzhany Palace was rebuilt as a grand Neoclassical residence in the 1770s by Aleksander Michał Sapieha, employing the services of the architect Jan Samuel Becker of Saxony, who set the palace in an English park landscape. Aside from the palace, there was a theatre (1784–88), an orangery and several other outbuildings. Becker also designed the local church (rebuilt in the 1850s).

By the time of King Stanisław II's visit in 1784, work on the palace had been suspended. The Sapieha estates were nationalised in the aftermath of the November Uprising (1831). Three years later, the palace compound was sold to be used as a textile mill and weaving factory.

In 1914 the palace was accidentally set on fire by factory workers. The First World War and subsequent financial hardships prevented the building's restoration until 1930, however the partially restored palace became a ruin again within fifteen years, a casualty of the Second World War. The ornate palace gate survives and has recently been restored.

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Address

P44, Ruzany, Belarus
See all sites in Ruzany

Details

Founded: 1602
Category: Ruins in Belarus

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.belarus.by
www.360cities.net

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Synkavichy Fortified Church (34 km)
Kosava Palace (18,5 km)
Biaroza Monastery Ruins (36,8 km)

User Reviews

David Y (3 years ago)
Ruin of a 16th century Palace. A good place to think about the transience of life. A moving experience
Yury Tsikhamirau (3 years ago)
Ruins of the Sapeha palace. Partially renovated
Dasha P. (4 years ago)
Very picturesque ruins. Museum is quite small, but informative.
Anastasia Trushkin Axelrod (5 years ago)
Beautiful worth to see.
Asim Adeel (5 years ago)
Very nice place, amazing view and tells how this place must had a glorious past. It must be re renovated and restored. It's a heritage well deserved.
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