Novogrudok

The ruins associated with the first princes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and their struggle with the crusaders are located in the first capital of this medieval state - the modern Belarusian city of Novogrudok (53.598706, 25.825073). In the center of the city there is the Castle Hill, on which the remains of several towers stand. The oldest are the ruins of the Shield Tower (Schitovka), which was built at the end of the XIV century. The Kostelnaia Tower was built at the beginning of the 15th century. Tradition connects with Novogrudok many fateful events in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: it is believed that here in 1253 the Grand Duke Mindovg was first crowned with the royal crown. Not far from the Castle Hill between the street Minskaia and street On May 1, there is Mindovg Hill (53 ° 36′01 "N 25 ° 50′07" E) According to one of the legends, it was on this mountain in 1253 that the coronation ceremony took place, according to another - he was buried here. Novogrudok was repeatedly besieged by the troops of German knights, and three times it was stormed by the troops under the command of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order (1314 - Heinrich von Pletske, 1391 - Konrad von Wallenrod, 1394 - Konrad von Jungingen). Nevertheless, the castle withstood these sieges.

Tags: castles and fortresses, places of memory, XIII век, XIV век, Grand Duchy of Lithuania