Lyubcha Castle
Castle in Liubča, Belarus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lyubcha Castle or Lubcz Castle (Belarusian: Любчанскі замак) was a residential castle of the Radziwill family on the left bank of the Neman River at Lyubcha near Novogrudok, Belarus.
The castle began its life in 1581 as a fortified residence of Jan Kiszka, a powerful Calvinist magnate. It had timber walls and a single stone tower, and was surrounded by moats on three sides, the fourth side protected by the river.[1]
Lyubcha later passed to Janusz Radziwiłł, Great Hetman of Lithuania, who rebuilt the castle in stone.[1] In 1655, it was taken and devastated by the rebellious Cossacks under Ivan Zolotarenko. Only the barbican and one other tower stood after the Cossack incursion.[citation needed]
The deserted estate changed owners several times, remaining untenanted until the mid-19th century, when a Gothic Revival palace was built on the grounds.[1]
The Lyubcha estate suffered much damage during both world wars.[1] The palace was reduced to a shell in 1914 and was remodeled into a school building by the Soviets in 1947.[citation needed] In the early 21st century, some of the castle walls were rebuilt by a team of volunteers.[1]