Mir - is a urban settlement of Karelichy district, Grodno region of Belarus. The village of Mir is very rich in very valuable architectural monuments and outstanding sights. First of all, Mir settlement is famous due to the fact that Mir Castle is located here - one of the most important and most valuable sights of all Belarus, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The history of the Mir Castle begins in the first half of the 16th century. The exact date for the construction of the Mir Castle is unknown. According to the main version, the first stage of the erection of the castle in the village of Mir lasted from 1522 to 1526. Then all five towers of the castle were erected, as well as the walls that connected the towers.

In terms of the castle is square, the length of the walls is about 75 meters, the height is about 12 meters, the thickness at the base is 3 meters, in the upper part the thickness of the walls is 2 meters. The height of the five-story towers reaches 27 meters. The walls and towers are lined with a three-layer mixed brick and stone masonry, which indicates the good defensive capability of the Mir castle.

In the lower part of the walls were cut open arms loopholes, and the western and northern walls from the yard had battle galleries with pine parapets. The towers protrude beyond the walls. Four towers are located at the corners of the castle. At the time of construction, the only entrance to the castle was provided through the entrance gate, which was crowned by the fifth tower, located in the middle of the western wall. The castle was originally built as a magnate residence. His first masters were members of Ilinicz family. The purpose of building so well fortified castle is unknown. Given that the village of Mir in the 16th century was quite a quiet place, it is assumed that the castle was built from considerations of prestige.

After in 1568 new owners of the Mir Castle became the Radziwills, construction work was resumed here. As a result, along the northern and eastern walls from the inner courtyard of the castle in the Mir was built a three-story palace. Mir castle took part in all the significant wars that swept through the Belarusian land in the 17th and 19th centuries. So during the Russo-Polish War, in 1655 the castle was stormed by Cossacks and was seriously damaged. During the Northern War, in 1705 Mir Castle was badly damaged and burnt during the attacks of the Swedes. Then in the 1730s the castle was thoroughly restored. In the middle of the 18th century, the "golden age" of the Mir Castle took place. In those days it was not only a castle, but also one of the most luxurious magnate residences, surrounded by a beautiful park and a system of reservoirs.

However, with the decline of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the era of desolation in the Mir castle also came. In 1794, during the rebellion of Tadeusz Kościuszko, the castle again took part in the hostilities, and was severely damaged. During the war of 1812, the castle was also twice the arena of military operations and was again seriously damaged. Soon after these events Wittgensteins became the new masters of the Mir Castle. Representatives of this family owned the castle during almost the whole of the 19th century, but due to certain financial, legal and family difficulties, they were never able to proceed with the restoration and reconstruction of the Mir Castle. Thus, Mir Castle, badly damaged at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, stood for a century in desolation and by the end of the 19th century was a monumental and strong, but still a ruin.

Then in 1891 the new owners of the Mir Castle became to Svyatopolk-Mirsky. The new owners immediately make attempts to restore the castle complex. However, first of all not far from the castle a small two-levels palace (not preserved until our time) and several outbuildings (these buildings are partially preserved, but not accessible to tourists, as they are in the closed territory of the local enterprise) are being built near the castle. In addition, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the park surrounding the castle in the Mir was restored, and the pond under the walls of the Mir Castle was cleared.

Also on the territory of the park, very close to the castle in 1904 was built generic chapel-tomb. And all this time the castle remained in desolation. The Restoration of the Mir Castle began only in 1917. Until 1939 the village of Mir was part of Poland, and Mir Castle belonged to former owners. All this time, they continued to carry out certain restoration works. However, a full restoration and reconstruction of the castle in those days did not succeed. Nevertheless, as a result of the work carried out, by the beginning of the Second World War Mir Castle was in a very strong condition.

In 1939, after Mir settlement became part of the BSSR, Mir castle was nationalized. Until 1941, it housed a manufacturing enterprise. During the German occupation, the Jewish ghetto and camp for prisoners of war. After the liberation of the village of Mir in 1944 and up to 1956 Mir Castle was partially converted to housing. In 1947, the castle in the village of Mir was taken under the protection of the state. In 1987, it became a branch of the State Art Museum of the BSSR. At the same time, the Restoration of the Mir Castle was started, which eventually lasted almost three decades, and was finally completed only in the middle of the 2010s. In 1988, the castle in the Mir received the status of a historical and cultural monument of national importance. In 2000, the Mir castle complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2011, the museum, located in the castle, has become independent.

To date, the Mir Castle has been completely and completely restored. Mir Castle is a tourist site with a well-developed infrastructure. There are several restaurants with unique recipes of Old Belorussian cuisine, souvenir shops with unique products of Belarusian masters, and spacious parking. The area around the castle is well-equipped, and the Mir Castle itself is now a museum with a very rich exposition, which perfectly reproduces all aspects of the functioning of the castle in the 17th and 18th centuries. Not only the chic halls and interiors of the palace part of the castle were restored, but also the economic corners of the castle, dungeons, prison, narrow passages in the castle walls and towers, military attributes of the castle and much more.

All this allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the corresponding epoch very deeply. Will get acquainted with the way life and life of all inhabitants of the Mir Castle were organized. Also in the castle there is a comfortable hotel, with conference rooms for events at a high level. In Mir Castle there are many different cultural and historical events, such as: knight festivals, concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances or scientific conferences. The Mir Castle Complex is one of the most popular tourist sites in Belarus and one of the most recognizable of its symbols. Tens of thousands of Belarusian and foreign tourists and travelers come here every year, through the village of Mir there are many excursion routes.

Mir Castle does not leave tourists and travelers indifferent for many reasons: firstly, the age of the castle is about five hundred years; Secondly, Mir Castle has a very impressive size and appearance, while whitewashed niches and belts contrast well with the red brick walls of the castle, enhancing the artistic expressiveness of the building; thirdly, this castle is extremely well restored; Fourthly, around the Mir Castle there is a very picturesque stretch of a spacious park with a pond. Walking around this park around the castle and lake can cause a lot of positive emotions.

On the territory of the park there is also another interesting attraction - the chapel-tomb, built in 1904. Although the chapel was built and much later than the castle, nevertheless this architectural monument perfectly blended into the surrounding landscape. This chapel is perfectly combined with the castle and complements it well. During the Soviet era, a granary was located in the chapel. Then she was for a long time in desolation. In 2004, restoration work was started, which was completed in 2008, when the chapel became available to tourists. This chapel-tomb is a part of the museum "Mir Castle Complex", and is its integral part. At the same time, the picturesque mosaic panel with the image of Christ decorating the main facade of the chapel, and the main one in its appearance, is separately included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values ​​of the Republic of Belarus. Next to the chapel in the park in the village of Mir, there was also a lodge of the beginning of the 20th century.

First of all, the village Mir is famous due to the castle situated here, however there are a few outstanding and very valuable sights and architectural monuments that perfectly complement the amazing tourist atmosphere of Mir village and are important components of the Belarusian cultural and historical heritage. We are talking about two ancient temples and a very remarkable private building, also located in the village of Mir.

The first such landmark of the village of Mir is the Catholic church of St. Nicholas, which was built from 1599 to 1605. It is noteworthy that the building adjacent to the church, which previously performed the functions of plebania, i.e. houses of the priest and parish administration, also very old, it was built from 1604 to 1609. The Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Mir has never been reconstructed in its entire history and has come to our time in its original form. For all the time of the existence of the church, only repair and restoration works were carried out here, but there were no significant reconstructions. Soon after the defeat of the uprising of 1863, namely in 1865, this church was re-consecrated to the Orthodox Church. In 1919, when the village of Mir was part of the interwar Poland, the temple was returned to the Catholics. During the Soviet era the church was closed.

In 1990, the temple was returned to the believers again, but only in 2001, restoration work was started here. The church resumed its work in 2009. To date, the Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Mir is in excellent condition, functions according to its original purpose and is open not only for believers, but also for numerous tourists. This unique, more than 400-year-old church evokes a well-deserved interest among travelers. The Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Mir directly "breathes" with antiquity, inside the church there is a kind of medieval chill even in the hottest weather. The architecture of the church, which is perfectly visible from the Mir Castle, is made to fit the castle itself and harmonizes perfectly with it. The church looks like one of the towers of the castle taken out for some reason on the periphery. The church and the castle are well complemented and form a very picturesque panorama of the whole settlement.

The next very important and ancient landmark of the village of Mir is the Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity, which was erected here from 1533 to 1550. The age of this temple makes it very interesting for tourists. Indeed, in Belarus there are not so many five-hundred-year-old architectural monuments, therefore each of them is of special value for the cultural and historical heritage of the country. The Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Mir from 1705 to 1839 was uniate. Then, in the 18th century, this temple was part of the Basilian monastery, which was abolished in 1824. In the second half of the 19th century, the church in the village of Mir was rebuilt several times, several times it was also restored after the fires. The most significant reconstruction of the church took place in 1865. Thus, the church in the village of Mir has survived to our time in a form that is somewhat different from its original appearance of the 16th century. Today, this church is in good condition and is open to believers and tourists.

Also, in the very center of the village of Mir there are several quarters of a very interesting and attractive private urban development of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. In this case, the individual buildings that are part of this historic building, even belong to the 18th century. Among the buildings that today these historic neighborhoods of Mir make up, there is a whole complex of buildings of the former synagogue court. Other buildings belonging to this architectural ensemble were previously administrative, commercial or residential. Well, for today, all these historical buildings perform administrative and trading functions, and are also used for housing. By the way, the infrastructure facilities located in these historical buildings perfectly complement the excellent tourist atmosphere of the village of Mir. There are shops, several cafes, banks, pharmacy, ATMs, a hotel, a local history museum, and much more. Recall that the castle complex also has many additional infrastructure facilities, such as a hotel, souvenir shops and a restaurant. As a result, in the village of Mir there is a whole range of different offers for tourists, differing in price and sophistication.

There is in the village of Mir and another attraction - the Orthodox church of St. George, built in 1910. In addition, in the village of Mir there are also a few small sights, which, however, against the already described landmarks of the village of Mir, do not represent much interest for tourists. Among these attractions can be separately mentioned: the foundations of the manor house of the late 19th century (this small palace has already been mentioned in describing the history of the Mir Castle); farm buildings that are inaccessible to tourists and previously belonged to the same estate complex; as well as several modern roadside chapels.

Sketches of Napoleon Orda, Mir: