Ruins of the Bykhov castle description and photos - Belarus: Mogilev region (Topic)

Ruins of the Bykhov castle description and photos - Belarus: Mogilev region. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

Bykhov Castle is now in a deplorable state. So far, we can only talk about the ruins of the Bykhov castle. This is the last surviving fortress city of the 17th century.

The city of Bykhov was formed on the high right bank of the Dnieper in the 14th century as a private property of the Lithuanian prince Svidrigailo. The stone fortress city was built in 1610 by the famous military leader Jan Karol Chodkiewicz. Chodkiewicz received permission to build the fortress from the king after a surprise attack by the Cossack troops.

The construction of a new fortified castle was completed in 1619. In 1628, Bykhov Castle passed to the Sapieha princes, who rebuilt it according to their own taste. The military barracks style was replaced by the more graceful Baroque style characteristic of the Renaissance. Arcade galleries appeared in the castle.

However, the proximity to the Cossack Ukraine did not allow the owners of the castle to relax. He continued to build up the fortifications. The castle was surrounded by earthen ramparts and surrounded on all sides by deep moats with water. Guard towers were built along the perimeter of the impregnable walls, from which sentinels watched day and night.

Bykhov, like most cities of the Commonwealth, was a multi-confessional city. In it, in particular, there was a synagogue, also built as a defensive structure capable of withstanding a serious siege.

During the Northern War, Sapieha assisted Sweden, for which the victorious Russian troops destroyed the castle, but soon it was rebuilt again. In 1830, after the failure of the November Uprising, the property of the rioters was confiscated in favor of the state. The same fate befell the Bykhov Castle. Then for some time it existed as a barracks, and at the beginning of the 20th century it was completely abandoned and was empty for more than a century.

Last year, the government of the Republic of Belarus made a long-awaited decision - to allocate money for the restoration of the Bykhov castle. Soon tourists will be able to see this majestic fortress in all its glory.

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Topic: Ruins of the Bykhov castle description and photos - Belarus: Mogilev region.