Castle Hill in Mstislavl

It was founded by Prince Rostislav Mstislavich in the early 12th century and by the end of the century became a major center of the Mstislavl Principality.

In ancient times, the heart of the city was Castle Hill – an elevation on which a fortified structure was located, surrounded by high walls, deep moats, and earthen ramparts. On the south side of the wooden castle, there was a drawbridge and a two-tiered watchtower. In the center stood an octagonal tower-donjon, built in the 15th-16th centuries. It stored weapons and food supplies. It was assumed that if the enemy managed to break through the outer defense of the castle, the warriors could defend themselves for some time while being in the tower. To ensure that the soldiers could feel the protection of higher powers, a church was built on the lower tier of the tower.

During excavations conducted in the 1960s, remnants of fortifications, log streets, residential houses, and craft workshops dating back to the 12th-13th centuries were discovered on Castle Hill. Among the valuable finds were birch bark documents, a fragment of a cup with Arabic inscriptions, and a device for playing murmenshpil – a game popular among German soldiers in the Middle Ages.

The Mstislavl castle withstood several enemy sieges, but in the mid-17th century, the city was completely burned by Russian troops during the Russo-Polish War."

Historical-Museum Complex 'Castle Hill'

In 2016, a reconstruction of the historical complex on Castle Hill took place, which involved recreating elements of the 12th-14th century architecture and opening a museum complex. Located within an area surrounded by a wooden palisade, the complex includes:

• An entrance gate.
• A conserved archaeological excavation of ancient Mstislavl fragments. In addition to remnants of residential and utility buildings, it houses archaeological finds – coins, pendants, knives, body crosses, fragments of glass decorations.
• A princely estate, erected directly over the excavation.
• Wooden observation towers.
• A tower-donjon – a replica of a 15th-century structure. It hosts a museum exhibition dedicated to the everyday life of ancient Mstislavl inhabitants. Here, you can see pottery, work tools, cult items, weapons, wooden furniture, craft products, and printed publications.

Visitors to the complex can order a guided tour or an animation program featuring historical characters and delicious treats cooked right in the oven.

Mstislavl annually attracts enthusiasts of historical reconstructions to participate in the traditional 'Knight's Fest' festival, which takes place on Castle Hill. The museum complex has a full-fledged site for equestrian and foot knight battles. Here, watching the brave duels, spectators can feel like full-fledged medieval townspeople.

There is no railway station in Mstislavl, so you can only get there from Minsk by bus, minibus, or car. Castle Hill is located in the historical center of the city, a 15-minute walk from the city bus station. There are two entrances to the museum complex: one from the city side and another via a steep staircase, from the side of the Kagalny Well – a source whose waters once filled the castle moats."