Part 1
Photo: GORK
Geo: Nesvizh, BY
The distances between cities in Belarus seem amusing by Russian standards. If you don’t stop, you can drive around the whole Republic in a couple of days. The roads and cleanliness are the first things that catch your eye. It feels like people walk around with lawn mowers even in the forest. You won’t believe it, but throughout my journey, I didn’t see a single bottle on the roadside.
The roads are also a separate form of art. On the way to the airport, I chatted with a taxi driver who told me that the straight roads with perfect pavement stretching to the horizon were built during the 1980 Olympics, as Belarus served as a sort of gateway from Europe to the Soviet Union. The only thing missing is proper lighting, which makes traveling on the highway at night not very comfortable.
The castle in Nesvizh is the first checkpoint where we stopped. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back to the 16th century. It was founded by Prince Radziwill the Orphan, who brought in Italian architect Giovanni Bernardoni for the work. The fortress was built according to all the canons of medieval military architecture: a moat, a donjon, arrow slits, an embankment, a well, etc. The castle was repeatedly subjected to raids and its structure saved the inhabitants from enemies more than once.
However, in 1706, the castle was looted by the Swedes under the leadership of the famous commander Charles XII, who caused quite a few problems for Peter I and paid for it in 1709 near Poltava, suffering a crushing defeat by the Russian army.
By the mid-18th century, under the guidance of architect Zhdanovich, the castle was rebuilt again. It lost its defensive features and became more like a secular palace with a beautiful landscaped park that you can still observe today. Touching history is priceless!
Cycle Contents
@gorkjournal
Photo: GORK
Geo: Nesvizh, BY
The distances between cities in Belarus seem amusing by Russian standards. If you don’t stop, you can drive around the whole Republic in a couple of days. The roads and cleanliness are the first things that catch your eye. It feels like people walk around with lawn mowers even in the forest. You won’t believe it, but throughout my journey, I didn’t see a single bottle on the roadside.
The roads are also a separate form of art. On the way to the airport, I chatted with a taxi driver who told me that the straight roads with perfect pavement stretching to the horizon were built during the 1980 Olympics, as Belarus served as a sort of gateway from Europe to the Soviet Union. The only thing missing is proper lighting, which makes traveling on the highway at night not very comfortable.
The castle in Nesvizh is the first checkpoint where we stopped. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back to the 16th century. It was founded by Prince Radziwill the Orphan, who brought in Italian architect Giovanni Bernardoni for the work. The fortress was built according to all the canons of medieval military architecture: a moat, a donjon, arrow slits, an embankment, a well, etc. The castle was repeatedly subjected to raids and its structure saved the inhabitants from enemies more than once.
However, in 1706, the castle was looted by the Swedes under the leadership of the famous commander Charles XII, who caused quite a few problems for Peter I and paid for it in 1709 near Poltava, suffering a crushing defeat by the Russian army.
By the mid-18th century, under the guidance of architect Zhdanovich, the castle was rebuilt again. It lost its defensive features and became more like a secular palace with a beautiful landscaped park that you can still observe today. Touching history is priceless!
Cycle Contents
@gorkjournal