The ruins of the Kreva Castle are one of the most attractive tourist spots in Belarus.

The Kreva Castle is one of the oldest Belarusian castles, which was built at the beginning of the 14th century; at the same time, there are reasons to believe that the construction of the fortress began at the end of the 13th century. It was the first castle in Belarus built entirely of stone. The thickness of the walls was 2.5 meters, and the height was 12-13 meters. The castle had two towers located diagonally. The small tower performed exclusively defensive functions. The large (Princely) tower protruded beyond the perimeter of the walls and reached a height of about 20 meters. In this tower, two floors were occupied by rooms, and the third floor was intended for military needs. There was a prison in the cellars.

Several important historical events took place within the walls of the Kreva Castle. In 1382, Grand Duke Kiejstut was killed here, but his son Vitaŭt managed to escape. In 1385, the Union of Kreva was signed between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. In the 16th century, the castle repeatedly withstood the siege of Tatar and Moscow troops.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the castle lost its defensive significance and was abandoned. During the First World War, it was heavily destroyed. The fortress was occupied by German troops, who used it as a defensive structure for the last time. To drive out the enemy, the Russian army gathered about 800 guns under the walls of the Kreva Castle. As a result of artillery shelling, the Princely Tower and the walls of the fortress were destroyed. In 1929, during Kreva's stay as a part of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the ruins were preserved.

Until now, only the ruins of the castle remain. There are surviving walls along the perimeter. Some fragments of the towers and the foundation of the fortress, which goes deep for 4 meters, have been preserved.

The best view of the ruins opens from the Jurjeva Hill, on which there was once an ancient pagan temple. Here is one of the four talisman stones that stood at the entrance to Kreva to protect the settlement from misfortune.

Since 2017, works on the restoration of the Kreva Castle have been underway. In 2012, work on the conservation of the north-eastern wall was completed, including the restoration of the part adjacent to the Princely Tower, and the installation of a gate. This made it possible to open a unique historical object for tourists.

Publication date: 15.07.2024.

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