Located 120 km southwest of Minsk, Nesvizh is one of the oldest cities in the country.
The first mention of it is found in the chronicles of the 13th century, but the city flourished in the middle of the 16th century, when Nesvizh became the residence of the princely family of the Radziwills. During the XVI-XVII centuries, the city was intensively rebuilt according to the latest fortification art and architecture, and the Radziwills castle turned into a powerful defensive structure, surrounded by a system of ditches, ramparts and hydraulic structures. The first printing house in Belarus is being built here, in which the first Bible in the Belarusian language is printed, several monasteries and churches are opened, and even a small private army was quartered. Now this small regional center is a colorful combination of medieval architecture, simple wooden houses and gray examples of socialist urban planning.
Sights of Nesvizh
An outstanding architectural monument is the Nesvizh palace and castle complex (XVI-XVIII centuries), built by the Italian architect Giovanni Bernardoni with the clear intention of overshadowing the royal palaces of that era. Surrounded by an extensive system of reservoirs and ramparts, the castle was practically impregnable, and for a long time was a role model in the construction of such structures. In the second half of the 19th century, around the picturesque buildings of the central building, barracks and outbuildings that form the central architectural group, a vast park zone with a total area of over 200 hectares was laid out, which is still widely known for its skillfully selected floristic complexes.
In addition to the castle complex, noteworthy are the Benedictine Monastery and Church (1590-1596), the Town Hall (16th century - one of the oldest in the country) and the nearby shopping arcade, the magnificent Farny Church (Jesuit Church, 1584-1593 - the first Jesuit church on the territory of the Commonwealth), Castle Tower (XVI century), Slutsk Gate (Slutsk Brama, XVI-XVIII centuries), "House on the Market" (1721) and Alba Park (XVI century) in the southern part of the city, on the territory where the buildings of the summer residence of the Radziwills that have not survived to this day were located.
In 1547, the son of Jan Radziwill, Nikolai Radziwill the Black, achieved the title of "Prince of the Holy Roman Empire" for his family, and made the city his residence, the importance of which increased in 1586 after it was given the legal status of an indivisible hereditary possession (ordination) transmitted by the right of inheritance only to the eldest son in the family. The Nesvizh ordination remained in the hands of the Radziwills until g.
The city began to flourish in the 16th century. and is mainly associated with the name of the first ordinate Nicholas Christopher Radziwill the Orphan - the son of Nicholas Radziwill the Black. Having inherited a wooden Nesvizh from his parent, he is doing a great job of reforming it - the buildings are replaced by stone structures, the chaotic nature of the medieval city is being reformed into a regular quarter system that has survived to this day.
The life of the townspeople does not remain aloof from the reforms. Returning from a trip to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the Orphan is imbued with the spirit of change and rebuilding the family nest. Bringing his ideas to life, at the first stage, he frees the bourgeoisie from many feudal duties, eases the tax burden and turns the city into a typical European one, attracting traders and artisans to it. The city is developing rapidly - a school is opening, a bathhouse, a hairdresser's and a hospital are being built. Weaving and tailoring, locksmith and furrier shops began to operate. A little later, already in the 18th century, manufactory production and an art casting workshop were established. In 1583, the construction of the Nesvizh castle began.
Monumental stone buildings of the end of the 16th-17th centuries. it was represented by a castle, gates, churches, monasteries of the Bernardines (1598), Bernardines (1591), Dominicans (1672); Jesuit Church of Corpus Christi (1593). At this time, austeria opened in the city.
Nesvizh Castle in 2011
At the beginning of the 18th century, the city became a victim of the Northern War - in 1706 it was completely plundered by Swedish troops.
In the XVIII century. in the city there were a court chapel, the largest ballet theater in Europe (opened in 1740), a cadet corps and a school of naval officers in Alba (a suburb of Nesvizh) for the troops of Radziwill. In 1764 and 1768. Nesvizh is again occupied by Russian troops as a result of the confrontation between Catherine II and Pan-Kokhanku. After the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1793, the city became part of the Russian Empire.
On January 1, 1896, the population was 10,237 inhabitants, of which 5,692 were Jews, 2,890 were Orthodox, 1,545 were Catholics, 32 were Protestants. There was a synagogue and seven Jewish prayer houses, two Catholic parishes, an Orthodox church in the city.
Since 1921 Nesvizh has been a part of the Polish state, in 1939 - a part of the USSR (Belarus), in 1941-1944 it is under the occupation of Nazi Germany, since 1991 - in independent Belarus.
sights
Tower of the Benedictine Monastery
- Church in the name of the body of God - the first in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the second in the world (after the Il-Jezu temple in Rome), a monument erected in the Baroque style. The construction of the temple lasted 6 years (1587-1593), the consecration took place on October 7, 1601. The church is the burial vault of the Nesvizh branch of the Radziwill family. An old working organ has been preserved in the church.
- Dominican monastery was built in 1672 on the site of the current cinema and had a library and a school on its territory, which was closed in 1835. The last two years of its existence, the famous poet Vladislav Syrokomlya studied there, who paid a lot of attention to Nesvizh in his works. Closed in 1873, the monastery was transformed into a teachers' seminary, which began its work in 1875. Among the students of the seminary there were many people who made a significant contribution to the cultural history of Belarus. The most important representative of the students is the Belarusian writer Yakub Kolas, who will more than once remember the “city of youth” in his works.
- Benedictine Convent was built in 1596 at the expense of the Orphan and his wife Elzbieta Euphemia and served as intended until 1887. The territory of the monastery has survived to this day in the form of monastery buildings, a tower-gate and modern buildings of a pedagogical college, the main students of which, like four centuries ago, are mainly the fairer sex. The entrance to the territory of the monastery is guarded by a three-tiered tower, which is crowned with a dome with a spire. The tower building was built here in the second half of the 18th century. The Orphan's niece Christina, having become an abbess and taking the name of his late wife, served here for almost half a century, having received well-deserved respect and love from the abbess. Remnants of the earthen ramparts that surrounded the monastery and played an important role in the city's defense system have come down to us.
Slutsk brama
- Slutsk brama - the only gates that have survived to our times, meeting guests of the city and local residents entering the "old city" from the east. Earlier, on the right and left, earthen ramparts that surrounded the city approached them directly.
- Nesvizh Town Hall- the oldest surviving town hall in Belarus. The town hall building was recently restored. It was erected in 1596, rebuilt in 1752. The monument has features of the late Baroque and Renaissance.
Cultural heritage of Nesvizh
- The foundation of the city - Nesvizh Castle is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- In 1562, the Nesvizh printing house was opened in the city, where the first books in the Belarusian language were published in the territory of Belarus (in 1562-1571, the famous Belarusian educators Simon Budny and Vasily Tyapinsky published books).
- Belarusian writer Yakub Kolas, while studying at the Nesvizh teachers' seminary, wrote many poems and humorous stories here, which he later performed at local literary evenings.
- Nesvizh is the founder of the theatrical art in Belarus. "Comedyhouse" was the first stationary amateur theater to become a professional one and gave performances outside the city.
- Evno Jakobson, a watchmaker who lived in the city in the second half of the 18th century, invented the calculating machine, which became the prototype of the adding machine.
- One of the most educated people of his time, Simon Budny, published in 1562 in the Nesvizh printing house his "Catechism" and "The Justification of a Sinful Man before God"
Links
Notes (edit)
see also
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
- Ingleby, Clement Mansfield
- Inglis, Henry David
See what "Nesvizh" is in other dictionaries:
NESVIZH- a city (since 1940) in Belarus, Minsk region, 14 km from the railway. d. art. Gorodeya. 15 thousand inhabitants (1991). Plants: biochemical, butter, milk powder. Known since the 13th century. The Radziwills Castle (late 16th century), Baroque Town Hall (late 16th century) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
NESVIZH- NESVIZH, a city (since 1940) in Belarus, the regional center of the Minsk region (see MINSK REGION); on the Usha river (Neman basin), 14 km from the Gorodeya railway station. Population 12.8 thousand people (2004). Plants: biochemical, butter, dry ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Nesvizh- Nesvizh, a city in the Minsk region. (Belarus), 50 km to the NE. from Baranovichi, on the banks of the river. Usha. 13 thousand inhabitants (2003). The center of the principality since the 13th century, in Russia since 1793. The Radziwills Castle with a palace and a tower (now the Nesvizh sanatorium) on the mountain above the Castle ... Geographical encyclopedia
The small town of Nesvizh (14,300 inhabitants) is located in the Minsk region. Archaeological excavations and references in documents date its foundation to the 15th century. From the middle of the 16th century, Nesvizh became the residence of the princely family of the Radziwills, and the construction of the castle began there. From 1793 the city was part of the Russian Empire, from 1921 to 1939 it was part of the Polish state. Currently, it is a recognized tourist center in Belarus.
From Baranovichi to Nesvizh, the bus drove through the most real outback. There were no large settlements here, along the way we met only villages and settlements. Despite the fact that almost all of the land was in work, some kind of wealth was not felt around. There were also unsightly buildings, of which there are many in Russian villages. True, there were also positive examples, when neat identical houses could be seen through the bus window. 
Temple in one of the villages. It was built for sure, as a Catholic, now it can belong to any of the Christian directions. There are plenty of animals on these lands. These are mainly livestock, but I also happened to see a hare gnawing on something not far from the road.
The Nesvizh bus station was under repair, so all flights arrived at the local car company. The dining room is very useful before walking around the city. A nearby sign led to the Church of St. George the Victorious (1954).
A small bell tower was built in the courtyard. Everything looks quite patriarchal. Next to her is a barrel for watering the garden.
I drive past the castle. It is located on the shores of a chain of lakes.
From this place you can see the back side of the Corpus Christi Church (1593).
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was surrounded by an earthen rampart with five gates. Initially, the Slutsk brama (gate) had a different look and resembled a typical watchtower, in which the tax collection was also collected. In 1655 - 1660, Nesvizh was destroyed by Russian troops. By the end of the 17th century, the gate was restored, but in 1706 the Swedes wiped it off the face of the earth. Finally, in 1788, the Slutsk Brama acquired its present appearance.
Until 1939, there was a small temple in the building, and a bell hung in the arch on the pediment (you can see it in old photographs). After the Great Patriotic War, people lived in Brama for some time.
Let's look at it from the other side.
The new lion, apparently, reminds of the former greatness of the city.
The City Hall was built in 1596.
Next to it is the master's house (early 18th century).
And a later building.
The tower of the 18th century has survived from the Benedictine monastery.
On its territory, at present, there is a technical school. The former church of St. Euphemia is now one of the educational buildings. Of course, he looked different before.
I decided to take a little ride around the city. New fire station. By the way, at the entrance to the city there were several new pretty five-story buildings.
Vladimir Ilyich invitingly extended his hand forward.
Two buildings from different eras. The only thing they have in common is that both are painted.
The City Museum has recently received a new entrance.
I did not go inside. But he looked into the yard.
Two young women with a baby in a stroller were walking towards me.
- Girls, please tell me why the houses are the same? Has the state built them? Or some kind of organization?
- Yes, this is departmental housing, it is provided to specialists.
- What kind of specialist do you need to be in order to qualify for such a house?
- Various ... We ourselves live there ...
- Comfortable?
- Closely. There are four of us now ...
- And if a person quit his job, then the housing will be taken away?
- Yes...
This principle was popular in the Soviet Union. And people went to work in housing and communal services, construction sites and factories. But with the onset of the bright era of democracy in Russia, the country took a course towards the managerialization of the entire country, and the workers were gone.
I turn back. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord has been under construction since 2008.
The inscription on the facade of the house says that the Agriturismo "U Leonid" is located here. The list of services below suggests that this is a guest house. Presumably, Leonid understands that his guests will not be able to truly understand the essence of the agro-farm without work in the field or in the barn, and therefore this option must be provided at least as a free bonus.
Several interesting buildings were discovered in this place.
The Church of the Corpus Christi is very close. Its bell tower was once part of the city's Castle Gate.
Sculpture on the facade.
Saint John of Nepomuk returned to his seat after an 80-year absence
In the courtyard of the temple there is a chapel of Bulgarin, the grandfather of the writer Faddey Bulgarin.
A monument to the preacher Simon Budny is erected next to the church fence.
The park, together with the castle located in it, is called the palace and park complex. Since 2005, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is clear that first you find yourself in the park. Which starts from the road between two ponds.
Large playground. Apparently for those who are not interested in locks.
Memorial in memory of the Great Patriotic War.
Let's see the park first. This is how the castle looks from it.
The well is an important piece in the event of a siege.
Let's look back. We entered the park across the bridge on the left side of the photo.
The path goes along the moat. Behind it you can see the next pond, there are several of them in the park.
We will move towards the bridge, which is located in the distance. Riding a bike is comfortable here.
We got to the bridge. The next one is visible from it. The distances are great here. Overpowering everything on foot is not an easy task.
Water sports station.
From this picture, you can estimate the size of the largest pond. There are several ponds and parks here. One flows smoothly into the other.
The water level is regulated by a complex of culverts.
Romantic corner. Judging by the trampled grass, it is in demand. Which is not surprising, since in the local atmosphere, the human soul, without any prompting from above, becomes capable of beautiful impulses.
It would be surprising not to meet a mermaid here ...
In the shade of the overgrown trees, you can see people who once lived here. The architect Bernardoni built the Corpus Christi Church and, possibly, took part in the design of the castle.
Nikolay Radziwill Orphan started building a stone castle instead of a wooden one.
It's time to go to the castle.
The entrance was carried out from here, because repairs were carried out on the side of the bridge.
One of the most interesting excursion routes in Belarus, starting in Minsk, is a trip to the ancient castles Mir and Nesvizh, built by the Poles.
Nesvizh is an ancient city located in the Minsk region of the Republic of Belarus, 122 kilometers from the capital city. The earliest mentions of Nesvizh in written sources date back to 1446.
Excursion Mir - Nesvizh.
You can order an excursion without leaving your home, but pay for the excursion either in advance or before boarding the bus. The beginning of the journey - Minsk Hotel "Planet" from where the group goes by bus to the city of Mir.
Between Minsk and Mir 100 kilometers, and from Mir to Nesvizh - only 30. Excursion to Mir Castle - see the article:.
Nesvizh attractions.
Acquaintance with Nesvizh begins with a sightseeing tour of the city, the central point of which is the inspection of the possessions that belonged to the noble Radziwill family during the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This is an ensemble of parks and palaces built in the 16-17 centuries, about the inhabitants of which are told in numerous legends. One of the legends is the legend of the Black Lady.
Monuments to Nesvizh.
In the ancient city, be sure to visit the Farny Church, famous as one of the first monuments of Baroque art on the European continent, built by the Italian architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni by order of Prince Radziwill the Orphan. The temple has preserved ancient frescoes, in particular the image of the "Last Supper". But the church is also famous as the mausoleum of representatives of the Radziwill family, which is considered the 3rd largest and the number of burials after the Habsburg tomb in Vienna and the crypt of the kings of Spain in Escorial.
Another attraction of Nesvizh is the Slutsk Brama, a gate for entering the city from the Slutsk tract, built in the Baroque style as part of an ensemble of fortress walls. Several interesting buildings are concentrated in the center of Nesvizh - the oldest in Belarus Town Hall, built at the turn of the 16-17 centuries, the Market Square, the Benedictine Monastery, the House of the Craftsman.
The Corpus Christi Church in the town of Nesvizh, also called Farny, belongs to the treasures of early Baroque architecture. It was the first church of the Jesuit order on the territory of the Commonwealth and the crypt of the princely family of the Radziwills.
The history of the temple begins on August 19, 1584, when Nikolai Christopher Radziwill, nicknamed the Orphan, decided to place a Jesuit college in the city. The building of the College of Jesuits, which existed unchanged until 1826, and the church was built in 1584-93. Master D. Bernardoni, who came from Italy, modeled on the Il Gesu Cathedral in Rome, built in 1584.
The first divine service took place on November 1, 1593, on October 7, 1601, the temple was consecrated by the papal nuncio Claudio Rongoni, but the construction lasted until 1605. Since 1593, after the death of the master, it was led by Bernardoni's student, Giuppe Brisio.
The church is a basilica with 3 naves, a dome and an apse. The height of the dome is about 36 meters, the height of the central nave is about 18 meters.
The interior decoration of the Farny Church is famous for its woodcarving compositions, sculptures and its frescoes of the 18th century, based on the compositional schemes of Rubens. The painting in the altar part on the plot of the Last Supper, made in 1752-54, is famous. the restorer of the church and the court painter of the Radziwills Gesky.
The façade, which has a complex curvilinear shape, is a two-tier structure with pilasters and cornices, niches and sculptural images.
The Tower of the Castle Brama is the oldest building made of stone, which is the bell tower of the Farny Church.
The UNESCO memorial sign was installed in 2005, when the following objects of Nesvizh were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the palace and park ensemble of the Radziwill family's possessions, the Farny Church and adjacent buildings. This sign means that the Republic of Belarus has assumed responsibility for the preservation of the historical and architectural monument.
One of the fabulous places in Nesvizh is the Gate of the Nesvizh castle complex, surrounded by a park zone. The gate is decorated with the monogram and the emblem of the "Pipe" of the Radziwill family.
Park Nesvizh.
The park was founded in 1878 by order of Princess Maria de Castellan Radziwill, it was then that trees and shrubs, statues, gazebos, ponds, bridges and other corners appeared in which the harmony of man and nature was felt.
A single complex consists of 5 park areas, and their total area is 100 hectares.
You need to walk through the park at a leisurely pace in order to feel the silence and beauty of the ancient corner of the planet.
Castle of the Radziwills, Nesvizh.
The Nesvizh castle, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, was the center of the possessions of the Radziwill family, who ruled the Nesvizh ordination.
Its history goes back to the beginning of the 16th century, when representatives of the Kishka clan built a castle of wood, not far from which the castle of the new owners of the Radziwills ascended a little later. It turned out that Jan Radziwill married a beauty from the Kishka code and received land in Nesvizh as a dowry.
The castle, connected to the surrounding lands only by a collapsible wooden bridge and secret underground passages, has the shape of a closed quadrangle with sides 120x170 meters. All ancient buildings attract with their riddles. These riddles include underground entrances and exits, which were indicated on the master plan for the construction of the palace.
Around the castle are earthen ramparts and a moat, the width of which was originally 22 meters. On both sides of the moat, brick walls were built with a thickness of about 2 m and a height of about 4 m.
On the resulting fortress wall, not far from the gate, a redoubt was built for defense, and a road was laid around the wall passing outside. The waters of the Ushi River were brought into the built moat, and the ponds were filled with the same waters.
The castle was founded on May 7, 1583.
Presumably, architects from Holland, invited by Nikolai Cherny Radziwill, took part in the design of the castle, according to another version - the builder of the Farny Church Giovanni Bernardoni, according to the third - unknown builders from France. In the appearance of the castle, you can find similarities with the famous European ensembles, including the Palace of Versailles.
Museum of Nesvizh.
After crossing the bridge, which in the old days was lifting, we find ourselves in a quadrangular courtyard with a well in the middle, which in the old days during the sieges was the only source of drinking water. The coat of arms of an ancient family is placed on the facade of the central building. Hunting trumpets are depicted on the coat of arms, because, according to legend, when the first representative of the family received these lands, the donor-king ordered to draw a border around the lands where the hunting horn would be heard.
Inspection of the castle begins with the main staircase. You cannot walk up this staircase, all tourists climb the stairs for servants.
Above the entrance to the first hall is a symbol of power, glory and peace.
This hall is called Star. Here we can see the elements of the furnishings that have survived from ancient times, for example, an old stove with the image of the coat of arms of the family.
The halls are decorated with wood panels and art canvases illustrating the history of the development of the Radziwills family.
From the study you can see a bedroom with a recreated setting of the times of the owners of the castle, with a four-poster bed and an animal skin on the floor.
One of the most magnificent is the Fireplace Hall. On the central wall there are portraits of representatives of the Radziwill family.
The dark wood fireplace is the center of the room. The look of medieval ceilings with beams has been preserved here, and examples of pieces of furniture corresponding to the heyday of the family are presented.
In the corner of the Fireplace Hall there is a stove decorated with black tiles.
From the Fireplace Hall, the guests entered the Dining Hall. Here you can admire ancient porcelain, portraits of the owners, a tiled stove.
We are in the ballroom. However, the castle was designed so that even at the ball there was an opportunity to retire and chat. Behind a row of columns near the mirror there is such a corner with round ovens on the sides.
Sights of Nesvizh. The most important and interesting sights of Nesvizh are photos and videos, descriptions and reviews, location, sites.
- Last Minute Tours to Belarus
- Tours for the New Year Worldwide
All All Architecture Religion
Any Museum card
The main city attraction is the palace and park complex of the 16th-19th centuries, located in the northeastern part of the city. Like a number of other interesting city buildings, the complex was erected during the reign of Prince Mikolaj "Orphan" Radziwill. The palace is very beautiful, as is the surrounding area with several landscaped gardens.
The second most important city building, which dates back to about the same period as the palace, is the old town hall. It is considered the oldest in the territory of modern Belarus. Particularly noteworthy is the restored Town Hall tower, which for a long time was the highest point of the surroundings, which made it possible to use it as a sentry.
The third of the most remarkable in the historical and architectural sense of Nesvizh buildings is the Farny Church, or the Church of the Body of God. Its main architect was Giovanni Bernardoni, who was specially invited from Rome, and from the outside the church is very reminiscent of Italian examples of religious architecture. But its interior is even more remarkable: here you can see the excellent frescoes, thanks to which the temple acquired a resounding fame. Its second peculiarity lies in the crypt: it contains the family tomb of the Radziwill princes, where more than 70 tombs have survived.
The landscape city parks are beautiful, which were created for more than one hundred years under different princes of the Radziwills.
Unfortunately, not so many have survived from the rest of the religious buildings in Nesvizh. The former complex of the Benedictine monastery is used today by the Pedagogical College, and of its buildings, only a high narrow gate tower, built in the Baroque style by the same Bernardoni, remained the same. Only one building has survived from the Bernardine monastery. The tiny chapel of Bulgarin counts more than three centuries - it is a small rectangular chapel a couple of steps from the Farny Church, built into its fence.
The urban development of old Nesvizh was more fortunate: in the city you can still see old and interesting houses of varying degrees of preservation. For example, the 17th century plebania building. (the house where the xenz lived). The house of an artisan in the city market is also interesting: it is believed that this is the only remaining urban residential building in the country with a facade made in the Baroque style. The house was built in the 18th century. and was redesigned several times, but an interesting facade with a complex and majestic profile can be seen today.
The memorial stone in the Old Park was erected by Prince Anthony Radziwill in honor of his wife, Maria de Castellan. Today there is a persistent belief that the stone fulfills the desires of the one who touches it or leaves money on it.
Also curious is the building of the inn, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the buildings of the shopping malls on the town hall (or market) square. The rows were added to the Town Hall at the same time as it was erected, separated from it by passages for the supply of goods. Partially, the shops were located even in the building of the City Hall itself, and today they remain only in these neighboring pavilions.
The landscape city parks are also beautiful, which were created for more than one hundred years under different princes of the Radziwills. These are the Old Park with the "Stone of Desires", founded in 1878, the English Park on the opposite side of the castle pond, the romantic and quiet Marysin Park to the north of it, Antonia Park (the least well-preserved of all) and the Japanese Park, the newest and unfinished ...
- Where to stay: directly in Minsk - although the choice of hotels and hotels is small, everyone can find a "gatel" to their liking. For those who have come to improve their health and conquer the ski slopes, the resorts of Logoisk, Silichi and the Yakutsk Mountains are ideal, where all conditions for active recreation are created not only in winter, but also in summer. For the sake of exploring historical sights worth a couple of days
