Two Towers Of The Sapieha Castle Have Been Discovered In Ruzhany
- 13.07.2026, 14:28
The corner tower housed the office of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's chancellor.
Archaeologists have unearthed two towers of the original Sapieha castle, dating from the late 16th to early 17th centuries, on the grounds of the Ruzhany Palace Complex, the Culture Department of the Pruzhany District Executive Committee told BelTA.
Archaeologists have unearthed the corner (northeast) and south (central) towers.
“The corner tower had been unearthed earlier. Archaeological work was carried out there—if I’m not mistaken—in the 1990s. This year, a decision was made to excavate the tower for a detailed study of its structure,” said Elena Kubarko /b>, head of the district executive committee’s culture department. “The southern tower was discovered by chance. We knew about it from the blueprints. And last summer, restorers were clearing the foundation when they stumbled upon the masonry. Based on Becker’s drawings (German architect Jan Samuel Becker rebuilt the Sapieha Castle into a palace complex in the mid-18th century. — Note by BELTA) we began searching for its outline to find evidence that it was a tower. We found the corners and passed the information on to the archaeologists.”
This past summer, archaeologists set to work and unearthed the foundation of the south tower. This confirmed reports that Lev Sapieha’s castle had three towers.
“The third one was the western tower. Becker did not demolish it. The other two were demolished during the castle’s conversion into a palace complex. The western tower became part of the main building’s overall ensemble. Restorers also cleared it out, discovering an entrance to the cellars and a spiral staircase. “We’ve found many answers to the mysteries the castle left behind. We’re convinced that many more discoveries still lie ahead,” says Elena Kubarko.
The purpose of the towers is roughly known from inventory descriptions.
For example, the corner tower housed Lev Sapieha’s study, while the southern tower contained a chapel. The towers served a defensive purpose, as did the entire castle.
The main building will likely be converted into a museum. To do this, experts need to understand how to adapt it for tourist needs and conduct full-fledged tours there.
“A decision is planned to be made by the end of the year, after the excavations are completed and surveys are conducted. We’ll see what we’re dealing with, what we can make of it, and then develop a concept. Visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the main building and imagine what it was really like here,” concluded Elena Kubarko.