Ruzhany Palace
Encyclopedia
Ruzhany Palace is a ruined palace
compound in Ruzhany
village, Pruzhany Raion
(district), Brest voblast
(province), Western Belarus
. Between the 16th and 19th centuries Ruzhany (then called Różany) was the main seat of the senior line of the Sapieha
noble family, known as the Sapiehowie-Różańscy ("the Sapiehas of Różany").
's castle. The Sapieha residence was destroyed in the course of the internecine strife
in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
when it was attacked by Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki's forces in 1700.
Różany was rebuilt as a grand Neoclassical
residence in the 1770s by Aleksander Michał Sapieha. The architect was Jan Samuel Becker from Saxony
. The palace was set in an English park
. Apart from the palace, there were a theatre (1784–88), an orangery
, and several other outbuildings. It was Becker who designed the local church (rebuilt in the 1850s).
By the time of King Stanisław II's visit in 1784, work on the palace had been suspended.
The Sapieha estates were nationalised in the aftermath of the November Uprising
(1831). Three years later, the palace compound was sold to Ari Leib Pines to be used as a textile mill and weaving
factory. see copy of deed, at
In 1914 the palace was accidentally set on fire by factory workers. The First World War and subsequent financial hardships prevented the building's restoration until 1930. The partially restored palace was ruined in 15 years, a casualty of the Second World War. The ornate palace gate survives and has recently been repaired.
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
compound in Ruzhany
Ruzhany
Ruzhany is a small town located in Pruzhany Raion of Brest Voblast, Belarus.-Geography:Ruzhany is situated on the river Ruzhanka and surrounded by picturesque hills...
village, Pruzhany Raion
Pruzhany Raion
Pruzhany Raion is an administrative subdivision, a raion of Brest Voblast, in Belarus....
(district), Brest voblast
Brest Voblast
Brest Voblast or Brest Oblast is a province of Belarus with its administrative center being Brest.Important cities within the voblast' include: Baranovichi, Brest, and Pinsk.-Geography:...
(province), Western Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. Between the 16th and 19th centuries Ruzhany (then called Różany) was the main seat of the senior line of the Sapieha
Sapieha
The Sapieha is a Polish-Lithuanian princely family descending from the medieval boyars of Smolensk. The family acquired great influence in the sixteenth century.-History:...
noble family, known as the Sapiehowie-Różańscy ("the Sapiehas of Różany").
History
Różany began its life in the late 16th century as the site of Lew SapiehaLew Sapieha
Lew Sapieha . He was born in Astrouna , near Vitsebsk, Belarus. He became Great Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1580, Great Clerk of the Grand Duchy in 1581, Court Chancellor of the GDL in 1585, Grand Chancellor of the GDL from 1589 until 1623, Voivode of Vilnius in 1621, Great...
's castle. The Sapieha residence was destroyed in the course of the internecine strife
Civil war in Lithuania (1700)
Civil war in Lithuania refers to the conflict between several powerful magnate families in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
when it was attacked by Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki's forces in 1700.
Różany was rebuilt as a grand Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
residence in the 1770s by Aleksander Michał Sapieha. The architect was Jan Samuel Becker from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. The palace was set in an English park
English Park
English Park is a multi-use stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Canterbury United. The stadium has a capacity of 9,000 people....
. Apart from the palace, there were a theatre (1784–88), an orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
, and several other outbuildings. It was Becker who designed the local church (rebuilt in the 1850s).
By the time of King Stanisław II's visit in 1784, work on the palace had been suspended.
The Sapieha estates were nationalised in the aftermath of the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
(1831). Three years later, the palace compound was sold to Ari Leib Pines to be used as a textile mill and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
factory. see copy of deed, at
In 1914 the palace was accidentally set on fire by factory workers. The First World War and subsequent financial hardships prevented the building's restoration until 1930. The partially restored palace was ruined in 15 years, a casualty of the Second World War. The ornate palace gate survives and has recently been repaired.
See also
- Biaroza monasteryBiaroza monasteryBiaroza monastery refers to the ruins of the former Carthusian baroque Roman Catholic Monastery of the Holy Cross, constructed in the seventeenth century in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Foundation:...
, a family vault of the Sapieha family not far from Ruzhany - Halshany CastleHalshany CastleHalshany or Holszany Castle is the ruined residence of the Sapieha magnate family in Halshany, Hrodna Voblast, Belarus. It was erected in the early 17th century in place of an older seat of the Holszanski princely family....
, another ruined Sapieha residence in Belarus - List of castles in Belarus