In the first article I told you about Nesvizh, in this part you will read about Mir - an urban-type settlement in the Grodno region (until 1956 it had the status of a city), with a population of about 4,000 people. It is located about 90 km from Minsk. The first mention of Mir dates back to 1395. In this year, German crusaders passed through Lida and Novogrudok, reached Mir and burned it.
Peace
In 1486, the city passed into the possession of the Ilyinichi. Ilyinichi is a gentry family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1555, Yuri Ilyinich was awarded the title of Count of the Holy Roman Empire "on the World." After the Ilyinich family, in 1569, was interrupted in the male line, Mir and the lands around it went to the Radziwill family. Under the Radziwills, the city was surrounded by an earthen rampart and turned into a fortress city. The world belonged to the Radziwill family until 1832, and then passed into the possession of Count L. P. Wittgenstein - the Decembrist and the richest landowner of the Russian Empire. Over the following years, the castle and the adjacent lands were repeatedly sold and exchanged. In 1891 Mir was acquired by the hero of the Crimean War - Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky. It is interesting that he had such a surname long before he settled in the city of Mir.
What can be seen in the World
Mir Castle is the main attraction, the construction of the castle began during the possession of the land by Yuri Ilyinich. There is no exact date for the foundation of the castle. In some sources it is 1520-1522, in others - 1506-1510. For quite a long time there was a trial (more than 20 years) for the right to own the Mir estate. In 1522, the litigation was ended in favor of Ilyinich, so the construction of the castle, most likely, began after the settlement of this issue. The first written mention of the Mir Castle dates back to 1531. In 1569, the castle passed into the possession of the Radziwill family and acquired the form that we can see now. Under the Radziwills, an earthen rampart (up to 9m high) was built, defensive bastions were built, a ditch was dug and filled with water, a palace with a dungeon was built, a pre-Bramye was built at the gate, a drawbridge was installed. Around the castle there is a picturesque park with a pond with an island in the middle.
In 1655, the castle was taken by the Cossacks of the Zaporozhye Sich, headed by Hetman Ivan Zolotarenko. After that there was a war with Russia, the Northern War. The castle was completely destroyed, emptied and destroyed. Only after the castle passed into the possession of Prince Nikolai Svyatopolk-Mirsky, was a complete reconstruction made. Further, the castle was nationalized, and a production artel was located there. During the war, the castle housed a Jewish ghetto and a prisoner of war camp. Now the castle has been completely restored, and since 2000 it has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
The tomb of princes Svyatopolk - Mirsky was built by order of the widow of the prince - Cleopatra Mikhailovna Svyatopolk - Mirskaya. Construction lasted from 1904 to 1910. The tomb is made in the Art Nouveau style by the project of the St. Petersburg architect R. Marfeld.
In 1939, the tomb was plundered, and in 1948 the grain storage of the distillery was located in it. In 2007, a new bell appeared on the belfry, and in 2009 a new iconostasis was installed in the tomb. The complete restoration was completed in 2008. Now in the crypt there are 6 burials of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky clan.
The Church of St. Nicholas (Nicholas Church) is a Roman Catholic church built in the Renaissance style. The first wooden temple in Mir appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. Later, when Mir passed to the Radziwills, a new wooden church of St. Nicholas was rebuilt, which was consecrated in 1587. During the reign of Nicholas Radziwill the Orphan, the construction of a stone church began - 1599-1605. At the same time, a parish building was built nearby. The church was not rebuilt again and has survived to our time in its original form. The restoration work has been completed.
The Holy Trinity Church was built by Prince Nikolay Radziwill Cherny in 1533-1550. Initially, the church was Orthodox, and then became Uniate. From 1705 to 1824, there was a Basilian monastery with a school at the church. After that, the church again passed to Christians. In 1865, the church was almost completely destroyed by fire, only the walls remained, and a small part of the church utensils survived. Ten years later, the temple was restored at the expense of the parishioners, changing its original appearance beyond recognition.
In Mir, you can also visit the central square of September 17 (former market), the ensemble of the former synagogue courtyard, the Mirsky Posad Museum. Take a walk, enjoy, learn something new. The world will not leave you indifferent.
