The ruins of the castle White Kovel

Castle "White Kovel" is an architectural monument of defensive architecture of the mid 17th century, combining the features of Western architecture and Belarusian folk architecture. Erected on the orders of Prince Semen A. Sangushko. The castle was a rectangular building with towers at the corners and around artificial reservoirs. The composition was identical to the castle Mir, only the size was far more ambitious: if in the world the length of each wall is 75 meters, the resin had a length of two walls up to 100, and two more - up to 200 meters. The castle is built of large bricks and small stones. All the buildings of the castle were plastered and painted white. Around it was piled high shafts with angular bastions, where the long-range guns were installed in the shelters. Under the castle are extensive cellars with several secret underground passages, leading far beyond the territory of the complex. According to legend, one of them went out in the famous Kucein monastery near Orsha.

In the XVII century Smolyanskii castle was one of the main cultural centers of Eastern Belarus. Through Smalany held traditional overland route from Western Europe to Moscow, so the castle willingly took many senior travelers. Smolyanskii castle and had his name, that was not quite typical for the Belarusian lands: it was called "White Kovel". The word "Kovel" appeared in the title of the castle because it is a place that is in today's Ukraine not far from Brest, on Smalany Sangushko changed, then belonging to Prince Andrew Kurbsky. A "White" - because the walls and towers of the castle were completely bleached. By the way, this feature is also allocated Castle among others - was not in the Belarusian lands another of White Castle.

Internal body Smolyan were three-storey castle. The residential quarters were oven with white tiles, decorated with the image of the coat of arms magnate family, coincides with the state "chase". It is known that on the side of the life of the owner of the castle, Prince SA Sangushko ordered to paint a bright and cheerful murals to paint the walls of the chambers and the paintings on religious themes, mainly on the themes of death and oblivion.

White Kovel has repeatedly been destroyed during the numerous wars. Heavily damaged during the Russian-Polish War and the Northern War. In 1708 in the resin was broken army adjutant general Kanifera Charles XII, and he was captured. The retreating troops of Peter I partially blew up the castle, in order not to leave it to move here to the Swedish king. Decline and Fall to complete in mid-19th century, when the new owner of the legendary White Kovel privy councilor, senator Alexei Semenov sold it to local dealers in the brick.

Currently Save the remnants of the main five-story tower adjacent to her residential building, fragments of the foundation around the perimeter of the complex and basement, covered the ground at the moment.

reveal all text