Saturday, July 14, 2012

Novogrudok Castle History



Novogrudok settlement emerged at the end of X century. The city and the castle is located on one of the highest points of Belarus - 323 meters above sea level. At Castle Hill there was a fortress on the other the high hills - Posad.

Townsmen inhabitants were engaged in metal working, working with iron, bronze, non-ferrous metals, were made sickles, metalwork and carpentry tools, axes, spears, darts, scissors, fishing hooks. Novogrudok artisans worked with gold, with colored glass. Formed even quarter Novogrudok goldsmiths. They lived in a two-story houses, painted murals, with glazed windows - after 500 years of the windows in the palace of Peter I was even mica.

The first written mention of Novogorodke - Novgorodka refers to 1044, when the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise, "went to Lithuania." Obviously it was then that originated from the tenements and city roundabout. To protect against possible attacks around the city was erected earthworks.Novogrudok Castle History.

In the XII century Novogrudok - one of the richest cities in Russia, Black - Upper Ponemanya. By goldsmithery and jewelry craft added pottery, spinning, weaving, tailoring, bone and stone-cutting business. Novogrudok had extensive trade ties, despite the absence of waterways - the city traded with Kiev with European countries, Baltic countries, Scandinavia, even with the Middle East and Byzantium. Among the many residents of the city charter knew.

Since the beginning of XI century to the reign of Mindaugas Novorudka stood on the walls, wooden walls, renewed several times. The first mention of Mindaugas - creator of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, refers to 1219. By that time, there Novogrudok fiefdoms. Around 1238 there Izyaslav rules.

It is not known how Mindovg Novogrudok became the prince, perhaps, he was invited to rule novogrudtsami might captured the city, maybe he got his inheritance from his father - Prince Ringolda.

Since the 1240s Mindovg reigned in Novogrudok, gradually subdued all the surrounding Novogrudok principality.

PG Chigrinov wrote: "Mindaugas troops entered the Pskov and Novgorod lands occupied even Torzhok. Alexander Nevsky eight times deduced in the squad and only with great effort and considerable loss was able to defend their possessions. "


Mindovg ever fought, and fought with all against all, make alliances and broke them, sometimes losing battle, but more often won. The first mention of Novogrudok in Hypatian chronicle in 1252, it was this year the city - the residence of Duke Mindaugas and the capital of all its lands. In 1253 Mindovg converted to Catholicism and was crowned in Novogrudok.

In 1250-1270, the Novogrudok principality - the arena of struggle of the Lithuanian and Galician-Volyn princes. Already in the years 1254-1260 belonged to the Roman Novogrudok Danilovich Galicia, then - the son of Mindaugas - Voishelk. It was then, and began to build Novogrudok castle.

In the second half of the XIII century on the Castle Hill was built powerful Gorodnya - oak log, and the first stone tower, measuring 12 by 12 meters, which closes the ring of the city.

In 1274 a joint army of Tatars and Galicia-Volyn prince Lev Danilovich destroyed and looted the town roundabout, but failed to take the castle.

In 1314 Novogrudok Castle tried to take the Crusaders, using kamnemety. Destroying, as always, everyone in the neighborhood, the Crusaders on the move to take the lock failed and began the siege. There were bloody battles. At this point, he went from Grodno equestrian team to help novogrudtsam. The detachment was apparently small, and the head of the squad David suddenly attacked a military camp, killing the guards. 1500 knights were captured horses, equipment, food, the whole convoy. A squad of David, and took all the food left by the Knights on the way back. With cross lifted the siege and went home. All their attempts to get food and feed, and severely suppressed Grodno novogrudtsami. After eating the last horse eating grass and roots, remnants of the Crusaders and a half months to get to their castles.

In 1341 the principality became a lot Novogrudok Voydata Keystutevicha in 1384 - his son George, then - Tovtivilla Keystutevicha. At the end of the XIII century Novogrudok owned Lithuanian Grand Duke Trayden. Since 1394 Novogrudok - Centre of the Lithuanian grand domain. That same year, the Crusaders again unsuccessfully stormed the castle Novogrudok. At the end of the XIV century stone tower was badly damaged, she had built a new, brick tower, called the Shield, it had five floors of the total height of 25 meters. Wall thickness was about 3 meters, the walls were many loopholes in the castle began intense stone construction. Were built three stone towers - Kostyolna Posadnaya, Small Gate and the wall between them. The length of the walls between the towers was 30, 80 and 70 meters. The fourth wall was made of wood for a long time. The steepness of the 27-meter high mountain slope was 60 degrees. In the XIV century the castle was built a stone church in the form of single-turret stone buildings - Church of St. Michael. Before the partition of Poland there were the highest appeal court session of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - the Tribunal.Castle

Near the church stood a two-storey stone palace 8 of 8 meters, which lasted until the middle of the XVII century.

At the beginning of the XV century, only to hit the eastern slope of the springs. Above them novogrudtsy Kolodezhnuyu put a tower, a square at the base 8 of 8 meters. Castle .From Kolodezhnoy tower was the castle walls two meters thick. Inside the wall was a secret passage to the water 1 m wide, with a vaulted ceiling.

In 1505 the Tatars and Turkish Janissaries tried to take Novogrudok Castle, but failed.

In Novogrudok in 1255, 1274, 1278's attacked the Mongol-Tatars in 1314, 1321, 1341, 1390, 1394 years of the Crusaders, at the beginning of the XVI century - the Crimean Tatars. Novogrudok castle was never taken. Sam Novogrudok to 1323 was the capital of the Duchy of Lithuania (since 1323, Vilnius). In the city the three diets were the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Since 1415 Novogrudok - rezidendiya Metropolitan Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with 1596 - the residence of the Uniate metropolitan of the Commonwealth.

In 1507 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania introduced a new administrative-territorial division. In January 1507 it was established Novogrudok province, which was divided into three of the district - County: Volkovysk, Novogrudok, Slonim. In Navahradak county until 1791 included the Duchy of Slutsk. This system lasted from 1507 to 1940.

In 1511 Novogrudok received Magdeburg rights. When the churches were set up schools in the early XVI century a theater. In addition to the three diets Grand Duchy of Lithuania were held here seymiki - Meeting the local gentry, and the clerk sat castle courts.

At the beginning of the XVI century on the foundations of four-under 14 on 14 meters was built watch tower. Between her and the Little Brahma built pyatidesyatimetrovuyu wall thickness of 2 meters. Novogrudok castle became completely stone, which, however, did not save him from the terrible wars of the XVII and early XVIII century. Another tower was built by the city. Strengthening the fortifications of the city combined with a lock, creating a lower zone defense - "Forburga."

Novogrudok Castle in the XVI century, had seven towers connected by walls and further strengthen from the north - a great earthen rampart and defensive ditch tridtsatimetrovoy width and a depth of 4 meters. On the shaft of the high walls were located.

In 1535 the Moscow governor unsuccessfully stormed the castle Novogrudok. In the XVI - XVIII centuries in Novogrudok a resident population of 2-3 thousand people.

MA Tkachev wrote in "Castles of Belarus," 1987: "The first half of the XVI century for the city was calm. This, however, had a negative impact on the state of the castle, behind which the royal power ceased to attend. Belarus was in the depths, far from the troubled east porubezhe, Novogrudok castle gradually ustratil its strategic importance, with all the inevitable consequences in such cases: he started to collapse, keep up in arms. "

During the "blood flood" (War 1654-1667), in September 1655 after a siege took Novogrudok army of Prince AN Trubetskoy and the Ukrainian Cossacks II Zolotarenko. The castle was badly damaged, while the city burned. The castle was partially restored, but back in 1660 was taken by Moscow troops of Prince Ivan Khovanskii. Wage garrison did not receive a fee for service, he opened the gates of the fortress.

Four towers were destroyed, preserved beetle, Kostyolna patrol. The castle was destroyed, fell into decay.

Entering the Great Northern War in 1706, the Swedes captured the town and castle, all looted and blew up all the fortifications.

Since 1795, Novogrudok in the Russian Empire, in the county town of Slonim, in 1797 - in Lithuania, in 1801 - in Grodno, in 1843 - in the Minsk province. Histor





The childhood of the great poet Adam Mickiewicz was in Novogrudok, after Navahrudak school in 1815 he enrolled at the University of Vilnius.

During the XIX century Navahradak - small town, where about 4,000 residents, 15 stone, and 400 wooden houses. At the beginning of the XX century took place every year in the city for six fairs. In 1897 in Novogrudok lived about 8,000 inhabitants History




Since September 1915 Novogrudok was occupied by German troops, which in April 1919 were replaced by Polish troops. In July 1920 the Red Army entered the Novogrudok, but it drove the Poles in October.

In the years 1921-1939, Novogrudok part of Poland, the center of province and district.

Since 1939 Novogrudok - part of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1940 the district center.




From July 1941 to July 6, 1944 Novogrudok was occupied by the Nazis during the occupation in the area who killed about 30,000 people.

Since 1954 Novogrudok - the regional center of Grodno region.

In 1959 the population of Novogrudok - 12 000 inhabitants in 1970 - 20 000 inhabitants at the beginning of the XXI Century - 30 000 inhabitants.

In Novogrudok are 5 museums, including the house-museum of Adam Mickiewicz. Novogrudok Castle History

In the spirit of Novogrudok survived thousands of years of history, there are many architectural monuments - the ruins of the castle XIII-XVI centuries, Boris and Gleb Church XVI century Farny Church XIV-XV centuries, Nicholas' Church of the XIX century, the Dominican church of St. Michael's of the XII century, the Franciscan Monastery of residential building of the XII century, trade rows of houses and XVIII-XIX centuries, the mountain Mindaugas, Barrow Mickiewicz.

The ruins of the castle.

The castle was the seat unit, and later Lithuanian Grand Dukes. Located on the high hills. Novogrudok area is often referred to as "the Belarusian Switzerland."

To have survived the ruins of the towers 'donjon' Shield and Tower Kostelní.

St. Boris and Gleb Church.

Built as a temple, adapted to the defense at the expense of a large Orthodox magnate of the Grand Hetman of Lithuania Constantine of Ostrog. Built in two architectural styles - Gothic and Renaissance.

In the first half of the XVII century the temple was reconstructed, and it's got a different look.

Within the walls of the church is the miraculous icon of Our Lady Navahrudak.

Farny Church of the Transfiguration.

According to legend, founded in 1395 Vitovt. At first was a wooden one. Catholic church was erected in 1712-1723 to include the old one. In the church in 1799, baptized by Adam Mickiewicz. The temple is a bas-relief in 1643 in memory of the Novogrudok knights, who died at Khotin in 1621 in a battle with the Turks.

St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Built in 1780 as the church of St. Anthony's Franciscan Monastery. In 1831 on the orders of the Russian government was handed over to the Orthodox Church and rebuilt the church of St. Nicholas.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

Built in 1624 as the Church of the Dominican monastery.

A hundred years later rebuilt in 1751 and 1831 was on fire.

Double closed - in 1858 and after World War II.

In the 1990s, restored in the church service going.

In the main altar - Syatogo icon of Archangel Michael, patron saint of Novogrudok.

The house-museum of Adam Mickiewicz.

The museum is built on the foundation of the estate Senkevich.

For the first time the museum was opened in 1938, then - in 1955.

Renovated in 1989. In the courtyard of the museum renovated outbuilding, garden furniture, a well manor Mickiewicz.

Mountain Mindaugas. Novogrudok Castle History

Covered with legends, one of which it is buried Prince Mindovg (1195-1260) - founder of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Mound of Immortality in honor of Adam Mickiewicz.

Poured admirers of the poet in the years 1924-1931 on Little Castle - where started Novogrudok roundabout city. This settled the goldsmith.

Not far from Lake Litovka Novogrudok is celebrated by Adam Mickiewicz's poem "Grazyna".

In the town there is Vselyub church of St. Casimir's construction of the XV century - the oldest stone Catholic church in Belarus.

In 1581 near Novogrudok Lyubchansky was built the castle - the last monument of the traditional castle construction in Belarus. The castle was surrounded by a moat of 30 meters and a depth of 10 meters. At Castle Hill wooden palace was replaced by a stone. From the owner Liubcha Jan Guts at the beginning of the XVI century the castle passed to the Radziwill. Lyubchanskaya printing house was destroyed in the wars of the mid-XVII century, has published over 100 books, including the first edition of Belarus Mikhail Stryjkovsky - "Genealogy, or a short description of the historical acts of Lithuanian Grand Dukes."

Under Novogrudok is Negnevichi estate, which in 1428 the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas gave his wife Yuliana Golshanskaya. In XV century the manor passed to the Radziwill.

In the town of Shchorsa from XV century belonged to magnates Hreptovicham in 1770-1776, was built a stone palace of Italian and French architects, who became the center of the manor and park complex. The palace was surrounded by a large landscaped park with a system of artificial lakes. Partially Shchorsa were destroyed in the First World War.

Not far from Novogrudok - glorified A. Mickiewicz Svityaz Lake.




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