Lida castle description and photos - Belarus: Grodno region (Topic)

Lida castle description and photos - Belarus: Grodno region. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

Lida Castle of Prince Gediminas - a defensive structure XIV-XV. Lida, a border town built on the border of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was constantly raided by warlike neighbors. In those turbulent times, the people needed fortress walls to survive the war and return to a peaceful life.

In 1323, Prince Gediminus ordered the construction of a stone fortress to stop the ruinous invasions of the crusader knights. In 1325 the castle of Gediminas was ready. He stood on a sandy mound, raised 5-6 meters above the level of the surrounding swampy lowland. High impregnable walls were built of stone and brick. Their thickness at the base reached two meters. On one side, the castle was surrounded by a deep moat, on the other - an artificial lake, formed due to a dam on the Lideya River.

After Gediminas, the castle was inherited by Olgerd, and after him - Jagailo. The inheritance, as usual, was not divided and an internecine war broke out in the country. In 1838, Lida Castle was besieged and taken.

The castle has survived many wars and battles and was destroyed by the Swedes in 1700-1721 during the Northern War. The ruins of the destroyed castle survived one more last battle in 1794 between the rebels of the detachment of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and the Russian troops.

In 1891, a huge fire broke out in Lida, as a result of which the entire city burned out. To restore the buildings, they began to dismantle what remained of the Lida Castle.

The restoration of the castle began after 2000. The fortress walls and towers were rebuilt, In the meantime, internal residential and utility buildings are being erected, an excellent knightly lists have been organized within the walls of the castle. In 2005, the annual International Festival of Medieval Culture "Gediminas Castle" began to be held here, which has gained unprecedented popularity in recent years. Historical events are being reconstructed within the walls of the castle, tournaments and lists are held in the castle, festivals of ethnic and medieval music are held near the walls of the castle, on the picturesque shores of an artificial lake.

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Topic: Lida castle description and photos - Belarus: Grodno region.