BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/06/2008

Medieval Mir and Nesvizh

Often presented as a monster of a nation with a dictator on the throne, in reality Belarus is a calm and peaceful country. It has an open border with Russia, and is more European in its character than any Russian region. That means a long Catholic heritage, and several masterpieces of medieval architecture just waiting to be visited. Both the castles of Mir and Nesvizh are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, and are situated about 120 kilometers away from Minsk, and about 30 kilometers from one another.

Nesvizh in medieval times was a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which then merged with the Kingdom of Poland. From the 15th century until 1939, Nesvizh was the family home of the Radzivills, one of the most influential clans in eastern Europe for centuries.

From 1587-1593 a huge Italian Baroque Corpus Christi Church was built in the village, and became one of the earliest Jesuit church in the world and the Radzivills' family shrine. At the same time a Bernardine convent was founded in the village and the original tower now still dominates its southern outskirts. The central square of the village features the 16th century town hall with a traditional tower and a couple of old merchants and artisans' houses.

By today's standards Nesvizh is a small village, and it takes about half a day to explore its ins and outs on foot. You take the central street (Sovetskaya Ulitsa) where you get off the bus or taxi and in a couple of minutes you arrive at the Slutskaya Brama, the white gate to the settlement which since medieval times has stood in the center - though now the surrounding walls no longer exist. The Bernardine convent is visible at a distance to the right, while Corpus Christi Church's dome soars above the rooftops to the left. Notice the old fortification tower near the Church, which is the second building after Brama that is leftover from the old wall.

Pass the Church and cross a pond along a long dam to finally reach the Radzivill's castle. The castle is now undergoing major renovations, which are planned to finish by 2010 and you may not get inside - however, with a bit of luck (and perhaps a few bucks) anything is possible. The castle is striking for its refined towers and stucco walls, which bring a refined air to what is at the same time a formidable military fortification. Surrounded by a moat atop a steep hill, and adjoined by a pond and English-style park, the total package is extremely picturesque.

Mir village and castle used to belong mostly to the Radzivills (although in the second half of the 19th century it was passed to the Svyatopol-Mirskii family). Again, the Radzivills encouraged the settlement's development. The central square of Mir features a 16th century Orthodox Troitskaya Church. Pass an old marketplace and a row of cozy looking medieval houses to reach Krasno-armeiskaya Ulitsa with the red-brick 16th century Catholic Church of St. Nikolas the Miracle Worker, and then cross a small stream of Miryanka to reach the 16th century Mir castle.

The castle's renovation works seem to have ended, and the whole building is in perfect condition. The castle and the village are currently promoted as a great cultural landmark of Belarus, that is why unlike Nesvizh, Mir is very good in terms of tourist comfort. Even a quite decent hotel is available at a very modest price, along with a few restaurants and a bunch of souvenir stands for the village's guests.

The castle itself is still unspoiled by droves of tourists (unless a big school bus arrives), and gives a perfect opportunity to climb the long and narrow spiral stairs up and down the towers and basements to visit and take pictures in a torture room and the like. At the top of the tower is a guest book, where you may share your thoughts and impressions or just look through and wonder at all the people that have visited before you. Also explore the surrounding area to find Svatopolk-Mirskii's chapel, and just to enjoy a pleasant park and the different views of the castle.

Mir village itself is interesting and very European in its atmosphere. Every-thing is perfectly clean, brightly painted and in top condition, which cannot help but be pleasing to the eye.

Travel tips

For all non-Russian citizens, Belarus generally requires a visa to enter the country. However, the Union State is very helpful here. Certainly if coming by plane you will need to show your visa to passport control, but it is better to take a night train (about 8 hours in the way) to Minsk where no passport control on the border is performed. Moreover, Moscow seems to be the only city of the ex-Soviet Union where you need to carry your passport with you all the time. In Minsk and in other parts of Belarus no policemen will ever ask you to show your passport in the street.

The official languages of the state are Russian and Belarusian. The former is spoken and understood everywhere while the latter is used mainly in official documents and signs, is mostly understood, rarely spoken and generally similar to Russian.

The official currency is the Belarusian ruble which is about 90 to 1 Russian ruble and easily exchanged everywhere for Russian rubles.

Unlike in Russia, roads in Belarus fit within European standards and the public transport system works rather well and is relatively cheap.

It is recommended to take a bus from Minsk to Nesvizh and then a taxi (which is also not that expensive) to Mir (as no direct public transport is available) and then back from Mir to Minsk by bus.

By Alexander Usoltsev

Source:

http://mnweekly.ru/travel/20080610/55332911.html

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