new royal palace in Grodno was built in the Rococo architectural style. The idea of building a new castle arose for a reason: Palace of Vitovt was practically destroyed during the Great Northern War. Therefore, a decision was made to build a new palace and reshape the old one.
New castle in Grodno It was built according to the project of the architect Carl Friedrich Pepelman, from 1737 to 1742.
A chic two-story palace in the very heart of the city on the Neman stood out very much from its old counterpart. The U-shaped building was richly decorated with pilasters, stucco and unusual cartouches with beautiful masks. The zest of the building was given by the combination of brick tiles and facades of white and pink color.
However, the appearance of the palace could not be compared with its interior decoration. The main entrance escorted the guests to the front hall of the Guard. From the great hall, doors led to the luxuriously furnished reception room of the king, the Embassy and the Senators' Halls. Each wall of the halls surprised with unusual frescoes, stucco and rocaille. The right wing contained the royal chambers, from which a beautiful view of the Neman River opened, and the left wing belonged to the courtiers. The premises of the royal guard and the palace bakery were also located on the territory of the new castle.
In a buiding New Castle Grodno many important historical events took place. Meetings of the General Seim of the Commonwealth were held here. First, in 1793, the second section of the Commonwealth was signed at a "silent meeting". 2 years later, in November 1795, here, the king August Poniatowski renounced the crown, which ended the history of the Polish-Belarusian country.
In the walls of the Grodno Palace I visited Tadeusz Kosciuszka. In 1794, not knowing that the country would soon be gone, he presented awards to the rebels.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Grodno Palace turned into a hospital, which functioned until 1944.
The new castle of Grodno was badly damaged during World War II. During the battles for the city, the palace was almost completely destroyed. It was decided to rebuild the palace anew, unfortunately the appearance has changed significantly. The modern castle was built by a Soviet architect Vladimir Varaksin, with the hallmarks of neoclassicism.
The former castle housed the Grodno Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus for many years. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, the palace turned into a historical and archaeological museum.
Walking around Grodno you will certainly get to this historical landmark of the city. The palace is located at Zamkova street 20, not far from Farny church и drama theater.
What else is worth seeing in Grodno? Be sure to visit one of the oldest churches in Belarus. More places of interest and attractions in Belarus.
