CastleXPlorer

The Niasviž Castle is a residential castle of the Radziwill family located in Niasviž, Belarus. The construction of the castle began in 1582 by Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill, the Marshal of Lithuania, voivode of Trakai and Vilnius and castellan of Šiauliai on the site of an medieval castle which was entirely ruined. The construction of the Niasviž Castle was completed by 1604 but half a century later were added several galleries. During the Great Northern War was the castle sacked by the army of Charles XII of Sweden but the Niasviž Castle was few decades later renovated and enlarged.

Niasviž Castle, Belarus

In 1770 was the Niasviž Castle seized by the Russian forces, while its owners, the Radziwill family, were expelled from the castle. Soon afterwards the Niasviž Castle fell into neglect but in the second half of the 19th century it was returned to the Radziwill family and restored. The Radziwill family was in 1939 expelled from the castle which was during the soviet period used as a sanatorium. In the 1990's was the Niasviž Castle designated as a national and historical reserve and in 2005 for its historical and architectural value also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites.