National Art Museum of the Rubublic of Belarus - CASTLE COMPLEX "MIR" OF THE 15-20TH CC.

CASTLE COMPLEX "MIR" OF THE 15-20TH CC.

For the first time settlement Mir is mentioned in 1395 in "Chronicles of Lindenblat". In 1496 Mir was inherited by Yuri Iliinich, representative of the ancient Belarusian family. Construction of the stone castle in the late Gothic style, probably, began in 1522 and was linked with Yuri Iliinich. One of his four sons Schasny (Feliks), having outlived the rest, became owner of the castle. The legal successor of the castle after marriage with Sofiey Radziwill became Yuri, the son of Schasny. His uncle Nikolay Radziwill Black (1515-1565) sent young Yuri Iliinich in 1555 to the courtyard of the Emperor Ferdinand II, from which he has got the title of the count of the Holy Roman Empire "on Mir".

In 1569 Mir together with castle and title of the count was bequeathed to Nikolay Krishtofor Radziwill "Sirotka" (1549-1616) - representative of Nesvizh line of the Radziwills. In 1594 the castle was rearranged in the country villa by the north-Italian samples. Then to the north and east walls was built three-story palace by master Martin Zaborovsky, later to the west and south walls of the castle- economic premiseses. The earth grosses sprinkled around the castle with four bastions and created the defensive building - предбрамье - a semicircular wall in front of the central tower (was not saved). Cellars in the palace were used as storerooms, servants lived on the second floor. Floors of the first and second floors were made of brick, walls were stuccoed and blanched. Stoves on the first floor were неполивные, on the second monochrome, on the one third - polychromе. The magnates stayed on the third floor. Archives have mentions about painting on walls, кессонированных ceilings, rich fire-places, stoves with поливными tiles, recoating of the walls with oak panels. Interiors had valuable furniture, carpets and masterpieces of art. Particularity of the compositions of the palace - its sectioning. Around the castle were erected economic and administrative buildings: bakery, guardhouse, prison. Near walls of the castle and grosses were built stable, premises with a heater "for making the fire". Southward from the castle was made the "Italian garden", northward was made zoo - a big roundup for animals.

Destruction of the castle occurred in the 17-20th cc. First - pertains to 1655, when the castle was captured by the troops of tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich (1629-1676). And only in the 1680s repair and recovering of the castle began. In 1686 watch was put on the central tower. The following destruction pertains to 1706, when during the attack by the troops of the Swedish king Carl XII(1682-1718) the castle blazed. The castle stood in ruins till 1720. In 1736 the castle goes to Mikhail Kazimir Rybonka (1702-1762), and soon, in 1738 reconstruction work began in it, as consequence of which the elements of rococo are seen in the interior. On the one third floor some wall were ruined and others were raised, parade, portrait, ballroom rooms appeared. All rooms had stoves, fire-places, ceilings sculptured with gilt, parquet. Paneled doors were with internal French locks.

1730s - 1750s - bloom of the artistic handicrafts in the Radziwill's manufacturings. Then Mir became one of the centre of weaving. In 1762-1790 the castle became to a certain extent desolated, when it was owned by Karol I Stanislav Radziwill, nicknamed "Pane Kohanku" (1725-1790). Even so in 1785 last Polish king Stanislav August Ponyatovsky (1732-1798) was accepted in it. Dominic Ieronim Radziwill (1786-1813) became the owner of the castle from 1790. The castle was damaged during events connected with the creation of Targovitskaya confederacy, when the Russian troops crossed the borders of Speech Pospolita and helped to the confederates to seize the power. In 1794 the castle was a witness of the fighting with the Russian troops during the rebellion of Tadeush Kostyushka (1746-1817). Its internal finishing was vastly damaged.

At July 1812 near the castle was a battle between cossacks of the general N. Platov (175I-I818) and Frenchmen, and at November - between troops of P. Chichagov (1767-1849) and general Ya. Dombrovsky (1755-1818). Then, by a legend, the powder tower was detonated .

After 1812 the castle goes to Stefania (1809-1832), daughter of Dominic Radzwill, after 1829 - to her husband, tsarist general, Leo Vitgenshtein (1799-1866), but afterwards to her son Pyotr (died in 1887). He organized works on conservation of the castle as a monument of history. After the death of childless Pyotr Vitgenshtein Mir and the castle was inherited by his sister Maria Gogenloe-Shilligfyurst, wife of the Chancellor of Germany.

The prince Nikolay Svyatopolk-Mirsky (1833-1898) bought Mir castle in 1891. Soon, the lake was excavated near the walls of the castle, behind which two-story palace and alcohol plant were built.

After the death of N.Svyatopolk-Mirsky his widow Cleopatra (1845-1910) ordered to the Peterburg's architect R. Marfeld (born. 1852) project of the small chapel-burial (1904), built in 1906 in a modernist style.

In 1912 the castle was examined by the archeologist Yuzef Iodkovsky, who has done the partial measurements and extensive photo documentation of the castle. The stone palace behind the lake, where lived Nikolay Svyatopolk-Mirsky, was incinerated in 1914.

In 1921, when Mir was included in Poland, Mikhail Svyatopolk-Mirsky (1870-1938) returned in Mir from Warsaw. After reforms of 1921-1922 the prince remained the owner of Mir, Ayutsevichi, Pesochnaya, Usha. The project of restoration of the castle, prepared by the Warsaw architect Teodor Bursh, appeared in 1924. In the 1930s restoration works are made in the castle, up to the death of the prince Mikhail in 1938. After reuniting of West and East of Belarus (1939) a production artel took seats in the castle till 1941, from 1941 till 1942 camp for prisoners of war and ghetto was found in it. After liberation (1944) till 1956 some people lived at the castle that has led to the loss of the finishing interiors. Only central and south-west towers were practically not damageed.

In 1947 the castle was taken under the guard by the state. In the 1950s architect A. Mityanin has done the detailed measurements of the castle. From 1971 till 1982 exploratory and design works of the castle was managed by the architect V. Kalnin. The draft on restoration and use of the castle as school of art was executed in 1981 (architects O. Attas, S. Veremeychik, V. Kalnin). In 1986-2004 the scientific managament of the development and realization of the project of the castle was headed by D. Bubnovsky, and at January 1987 the castle became the branch of the State Art Museum of the BSSR. The director of the museum Yu. Karachun (1931- 1997) and head of the department the ancient Belarusian art, Doctor of Arts, Professor N. Vysotskaya worked out the exhibition of the castle.

The Decree of the Government of Belarus "About status of Mir castle as a historical and cultural value of the national importance" was accepted in 1988. In 1989 a new project of restoration of the castle, in which it was provided accomodation for the museum exhibition, was approved and accepted. In 1991 the project of restoration of Mir castle and ways of its realization was approved by the UNESCO experts. On October 1992 the museum exhibition was opened in the south-west tower. In 1993 restoration of Mir castle was marked by international diploma "Europa Nostra". In 1995 to the 500th anniversary of Mir castle the entry tower was opened. At December 2000 the castle complex "Mir" are enclosed in the List of monuments of the world cultural heritage of UNESCO.

On July 9, 2002 General Director of UNESCO Koitiro Matsuura and Minister of Culture of the Republic of Belarus L.Guliako solemnly opened memorial board on the wall of the castle, as an indicative of this event.

The scientific concept of museumfication of the castle complex "Mir" was accepted in 2002 by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus.

In 2003 the target program of restoration, museumfication and activity of the castle complex "Mir" and development of the social infrastructure and tourist services in Mir settlement of Korelichi district was discussed .

Recently Mir castle - is one of the most popular and visited museums of Belarus.

Museum works from 10.00 till 17.00

Days Off: Monday, Tuesday.

231444 Grodno region, Korelichi district, town settlement Mir, Krasnoarmeyskaya str. , 2.

Tel.: +01596 2 30 35

Managing Director of the branch - Galina Manyukevich