Bringing the Nesvizh castle. Legend "Black Lady of Nesvizh"

The Radziwill Palace in Nesvizh is not only the residence of princes. This is a mystical palace and one of the most mysterious places in Belarus. The castle is known to be haunted. The ghost is the spirit of Barbara Radziwill, wife of the Polish king Sigismund.

According to legend, Barbara married Sigismund in secret from the Polish royal court. Soon after the secret marriage, Sigismund's father, the Polish king, died and the royal throne passed to Sigismund.

According to the rules that existed at that time, Sigismund had to strengthen the state with a good marriage. The court did not know about the young king's marriage, so the courtiers immediately began to look for a bride. The search was led by Sigismund's mother, Bona Sforza.

The news that the king already had a wife was unpleasant for her, but Sforza did not have the opportunity to overthrow his daughter-in-law legally. Bona acted like a real Italian. She and the entire court went to Italy, but left behind a doctor who prepared poison for Barbara’s share. Barbara was poisoned. She was buried in Krakow.

However, Sigismund, who loved Barbara very much, did not want to come to terms with her death. The king decided, with the help of alchemists and magicians, to summon the soul of his late wife. According to the rules, during the seance, the king should not have touched the ghost of Barbara. When all the necessary ritual actions were completed, and Barbara’s spirit appeared in the room, the king could not resist, rushed to his beloved and touched her. At that same moment, something exploded in the room, a corpse smell began to emerge...

They say that since then the ghost of Barbara could not find peace. It is believed that the ghost settled in Nesvizh Castle after the death of the king.

As a rule, the spirit of Barbara appears in the Nesvizh Palace at night, in the first hour. According to legend, with its appearance the soul of Barabara warns of impending troubles. She was seen in the Palace just before the great fire in 2002, when most of the palace burned down.

In 2001, based on ancient legend, at the National Academic Theater. Y. Kupala staged the play “Black Panna Nyasvizha” in Minsk. The production is a great success.

Addition: (Slightly different version of the legend)

For more than four centuries he has lived in ancient city legend about the Black Lady. This is what they say about her in Nesvizh.

...In the middle of the 16th century, the owner of the city was the mighty and glorious Nikolai Radziwill, nicknamed the Black. In literature he is shown as a capable diplomat, educated statesman, very influential in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, serving as Grand Chancellor. In 1547, Nikolai Cherny achieved the title of prince for himself and his brothers, but did not rest on this. He dreamed of removing the principality from the power of the Polish crown and becoming the most independent king in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. To fulfill his dream, Radziwill also used a new movement of religion - Protestantism. The prince himself accepted Calvin's teachings and invited numerous reformers to Nesvizh. It was at this time that the Nesvizh printing house began to operate, in which books were published in the Belarusian language. The influence of Nicholas the Black increased even more when he became related to the future Polish king Sigismund Augustus through his cousin Barbara Radziwill.

The beautiful Barbara lived in Vilna. Her father was considered an experienced commander, who was called Hercules of Lithuania because he won 30 victories over the enemy. Barbara lost her father early, and soon her first husband. The castles of the young widow and Prince Sigismund were nearby. The prince did not remain indifferent to Barbara’s beauty. They started dating and soon fell deeply in love with each other.

Relatives learned about these meetings. Nesvizh Radzivil - Nikolai Cherny - was especially worried. He cared about his sister’s reputation and decided to take the necessary measures to protect her name and honor and his family from unwanted gossip. The danger was that the mother of the prince, Bona Sforza, fiercely hated the “upstart” Radziwills.

The old king lived last days. His son was soon to become monarch. They looked for a wife for him among the influential royal courts of Europe.

Nesvizh Radziwill decided to go to Vilna himself and restore order. He took his cousin Nicholas the Red (Barbara’s brother) with him and went to the prince. In knightly attire, the brothers looked very menacing. They demanded a final decision from Sigismund: either marry Barbara or not meet with her again. The prince, who knew his unstable position, the attitude of the Queen Mother, a representative of the Radziwill family, as well as the intrigues at the Polish court, had to give his word that he would leave his beloved.

The brothers pretended to leave Vilna. The prince wanted to see Barbara again. During the meeting of the lovers, the brothers suddenly appeared and demanded that Sigismund marry their sister, since he had broken his words. The prince agreed because he loved Barbara very much. He only asked that the wedding remain secret until he took the Polish throne, otherwise he would not be able to protect not only Barbara, but also himself.

After some time, old Sigismund died. The prince was urgently summoned to Krakow. Bona Sforza is actively looking for a bride for the young king. The marriage should strengthen the throne and increase the prestige of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Europe. The news came like a thunderclap that the king already had a wife. Bona Sforza makes every effort to prevent the Diet from crowning Barbara. To successfully resolve this issue, Nikolai Cherny had to make a special trip to Rome to see the pope. When the Diet was finally forced to crown Barbara, the Queen Mother left Krakow in protest and went to her homeland - Italy. She took the entire court with her, but left agents with the task of poisoning the hated Queen Barbara. The name of the pharmacist Monty has survived to this day, who, instead of the necessary medicine, prepared a poison that slowly but inexorably brought the blooming beauty to the grave. Barbara was crowned in December 1550, and 6 months later, in May 1551, she died.

The king's despair and grief were immeasurable. According to the will of the deceased, the coffin with her body was taken to Vilna. The inconsolable king followed the coffin on foot all the way from Krakow. Barbara was buried in Cathedral on Gediminas Square. The sarcophagus with her remains is still there today.

The king was so sad after the death of his beloved that he decided to summon her soul with the help of alchemists. As historians testify, Tvardovsky and Mniszech undertook to do this ( historical figures). In the dimly lit hall, everything was prepared so that, with the help of mirrors, on one of which Barbara was engraved in full length in white clothes, beloved by the king, to play out the scene of the meeting of the king and the soul of Barbara. They sat the king in a chair and wanted to tie his hands to the armrests so that he would not accidentally touch the ghost. Sigismund gave his word that he would sit quietly and only ask his beloved from a distance how he should live further. But when the ghost appeared, he forgot his oath out of excitement, jumped out of his chair, rushed to the ghost with the words: “My fable!” – and wanted to hug her. There was an explosion, there was a corpse smell - now Barbara’s soul could not find its way to the grave, it would forever wander the earth. Since that time she has been walking among people, and after the death of the king she settled in Nesvizh Castle. She always appeared in front of the living in a black robe as a sign of mourning for her lost love. The castle believed that the ghost warned the castle owners about the danger that threatened them - war, disease.

In the middle of the 18th century, the Black Lady began to perform new duties - she monitored the behavior of young beautiful girls and women. She taught some of them in dark places during balls, when they allowed themselves to appear in very open toilets. Existence in a castle Black lady The Germans, who occupied Nesvizh twice, also believed. When they saw something black at the end of the park, they shouted “Schwartz Frau!” shot in that direction and ran to hide.

K.Ya. Shishigina-Pototskaya “Legends of Nesvizh”, “Kahanne stagodzia”, “Treasures of Nesvizh”

In one of the oldest cities in Belarus – Nesvizh, there is a mysterious castle. A tragic legend is associated with it about the ghost of the Black Lady, appearing on dark moonless nights and wandering through the corridors of the castle...

Nesvizh Castle is located on the road leading from Minsk to Grodno. Surrounded by a deep moat, it rises majestically above the surrounding area. According to legend, on dark nights, at exactly midnight, the ghost of the Black Lady appears in the castle corridor. Weeping and lamenting, she wanders through the premises of the castle and disappears when the clock shows fifteen minutes to five.

If you believe the legend, Barbara Radziwill and Prince Sigismund, having fallen deeply in love with each other, secretly got married. Secretly because the prince's parents were categorically against this marriage. And only when the prince’s father, the Polish king, died and the throne passed to his son, Sigismund announced that Barbara was his wife.

On April 17, 1548, the king officially presented his wife to the Sejm. Polish gentry did not want to see Barbara as queen, but Sigismund showed unprecedented firmness for him. In 1550, the beautiful wife was crowned. The young king's mother, Bona Sforza, was furious. She moved with her entire court to her homeland in Italy, but left the doctor Ludwig Monti in the palace, who allegedly poisoned Barbara. A few months after the coronation, she died a painful death.

Fulfilling the will of the deceased, the coffin with the body of the deceased was transported to Vilna. The funeral procession walked from Krakow to Vilna for a month. And the inconsolable king walked all the way from Krakow to pick up the coffin. Barbara Radziwill was buried in the Cathedral on Gediminas Square, where her remains still rest.

Suffering after the death of his wife, Sigismund decided to resort to magic to summon her soul. For this purpose, he invited alchemists, among whom was the famous astrologer, magician and warlock Pan Tvardovsky. Tvardovsky set the condition that the king should not leave his place, much less touch the ghost, otherwise Barbara’s spirit would not be able to return to the afterlife. And Sigismund gave his consent.

The hall was lined with mirrors, one of which was engraved with the silhouette of the deceased. The king was seated in a chair and asked to tie his hands to the armrests so that he would not involuntarily touch the ghost. But Sigismund refused to do this, giving his word that he would sit quietly. When the ghost appeared, the king, breaking his promise, rushed to him and wanted to hug him.

There was a flash, a loud explosion shook the walls of the hall, and a stinking, corpse-like smell spread throughout it. The ghost instantly turned black and disappeared into thin air.

After this, Barbara's soul could not find its way back, and was doomed to wander in the world of the living. Since then, she appears at night in the castle premises, dressed in black clothes as a sign of mourning for lost love. She wanders around the castle, screaming, moaning and crying.

According to legend, Barbara’s soul, with its appearance, warns of impending troubles. As if she was seen on the eve of a strong fire that occurred in 2002, when most of the palace burned down.

There is a rumor that since the middle of the 18th century, the ghost of Barbara has become a guardian of strict morals. She began to closely monitor the behavior of young girls and women. If they came to the ball in very revealing outfits, then the ghost appeared in front of them in the dark corridors and scared them half to death.

Documentary evidence has been preserved that even those who occupied Poland feared the ghost of the Black Lady. German soldiers. They were afraid to stay in the vicinity of the castle in the dark, and if circumstances were such that they had to do this, then without warning they would shoot at any moving shadow and run away.

In Soviet times, a collective farm health resort was set up in Nesvizh Castle for the village workers. And visitors to the health resort often complained about strange creaks and rustling noises at night.

The legend of the Black Lady has lived in the ancient city of Nesvizh for more than four centuries. Many writers, artists, and musicians spoke about her in their works. Ex-tour guides introduce numerous tourists to this legend, leading them to a wonderful palace-castle in a picturesque park. Orally folk art it lives in various variants.

This is what they say in Nesvizh.

In the middle of the 16th century, the owner of the city was the powerful and glorious Nikolai Radziwill, nicknamed the Black. In literature he is shown as a capable diplomat, an educated statesman, very influential in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, fulfilling the duties of the Grand Chancellor. In 1547, Nikolai Cherny achieved the title of prince for himself and his brothers, but did not rest on this. He dreamed of removing the principality from the power of the Polish crown and becoming the most independent king in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. To fulfill his dream, Radziwill also used a new movement in religion - Protestantism. The prince himself accepted Calvin's teachings and invited numerous reformers to Nesvizh. It was at this time that the Nesvizh printing house began to operate, in which books were published in the Belarusian language. The influence of Nicholas the Black increased even more when he became related to the future Polish king Sigismund Augustus through his cousin Barbara Radziwill.

The beautiful Barbara lived in Vilna. Her father was considered an experienced commander, who was called 'Hercules of Lithuania' because he won 30 victories over the enemy. By the way, his portrait, executed in the manner of the German Renaissance, has survived to this day and was restored in 1982. There is an assumption that it was written by one of the Cranachs. Barbara lost her father early, and soon her first husband. The castles of the young widow and Prince Sigismund were nearby. The prince did not remain indifferent to Barbara’s beauty. They started dating and soon fell deeply in love with each other.

Relatives found out about their meetings. Radziwill from Nesvizh, Nikolai Cherny, was especially worried. He cared about his sister’s reputation and decided to take the necessary measures to protect her name and honor and his family from unwanted gossip. The danger was that the mother of the prince, Bona Sforza, fiercely hated the “upstart” Radziwills.

The old king was living his last days. Soon his son was to become monarch. They looked for a wife for him among the most influential royal courts of Europe.

Nesvizh Radziwill decided to go to Vilna himself and restore order. He took his cousin Nicholas the Red (Barbara’s brother) with him and went to the prince. In knightly attire, the brothers looked very menacing. They demanded a final decision from Sigismund: either marry Barbara or not meet with her again. The prince, who knew his unstable position, the attitude of the Queen Mother towards the representative of the Radziwill family, as well as the intrigues at the Polish court, had to give his word that he would leave his beloved.

The brothers pretended to leave Vilna. The prince wanted to see Barbara again. During the meeting of the lovers, the brothers suddenly appeared and demanded that Sigismund marry their sister, since he had broken his word. The prince agreed because he loved Barbara very much. He only asked that the wedding remain secret until he took the Polish throne, otherwise he would not be able to protect not only Barbara, but also himself.

After some time, Sigismund the Old died. Korolevich was urgently summoned to Krakow. Bona Sforza is actively looking for a bride for the young king. Marriage should strengthen the throne and increase the prestige of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Europe. The news came like a thunderclap that the king already had a wife. Bona Sforza makes every effort to prevent the Diet from crowning Barbara. To successfully resolve this issue, Nikolai Cherny had to make a special trip to Rome to see the pope. When the Diet was finally forced to crown Barbara, the Queen Mother left Krakow in protest and went to her homeland - Italy. She took her entire court with her, but left agents with the task of poisoning the hated Queen Barbara. The name of the pharmacist Monty has survived to this day, who, instead of the necessary medicine, prepared a poison that slowly but inexorably brought the blooming beauty to the grave. Barbara was crowned in December 1550, and six months later, in May 1551, she was gone.

The king's despair and grief were immeasurable. According to the will of the deceased, the coffin with her body was taken to Vilna. The inconsolable king followed the coffin on foot all the way from Krakow. Barbara was buried in the Cathedral on Gediminas Square. The sarcophagus with her remains is still there today.

Many works have been written about the king’s great love and grief. It lives in such a legend.

The king was so sad after the death of his beloved that he decided to summon her soul with the help of alchemists. As historians testify, Tvardovsky and Mnishek (historical figures) undertook to do this. In the dimly lit hall, everything was prepared so that, with the help of mirrors, on one of which Barbara was engraved in full length in white clothes, beloved by the king, to play out the scene of the meeting of the king and the soul of Barbara. They sat the king in a chair and wanted to tie his hands to the armrests so that he would not accidentally touch the ghost. Sigismund gave his word that he would sit quietly and only ask his beloved from a distance how he should live further. But when the ghost appeared, he forgot his oath out of excitement, jumped up from his chair, rushed to the ghost with the words: “My fable!” and wanted to hug her. There was an explosion, there was a corpse smell - now Barbara’s soul could not find its way to the grave, it would forever wander the earth. Since that time she has been walking among people, and after the death of the king she settled in Nesvizh Castle. She always appeared in front of the living in a black robe as a sign of mourning for her lost love. The castle believed that the ghost was warning the castle owners about the danger that threatened them - war, disease.

The Germans, who twice occupied Nesvizh, also believed in the existence of the Black Lady in the castle. When they saw something black at the end of the park, they shouted “Schwartz Frau!” shot in that direction and ran to hide.

Soon after her premature death, Barbara began to be considered a saint. Artists painted icons of the Mother of God from her portraits. One of the icons is located in Vilnius. The Belarusian poet Yanka Sipakov wrote a lament ballad “Request” based on this story.

O my gentle king!

You're crying like crazy - I can feel it...

As if I were tired of the troubles,

If only it's worth it.

I wish I was glad

your turmoil will fall asleep,

Glad to come back as before,

the wounded have your dears...

Oh, unforgettable my husband!

I will be a reminder and here I am,

You look so happy in your eyes,

I don't listen to you,

why separate us,

I stumbled evilly and saw your kind smile...

And how many evils of the courtiers

want to separate our hands -

Taba, I'm punishing you, you've already been looking for Yana's new wife.

Your matsi, karaleva,

I didn’t get any attention from any bridesmaids,

For I am here and there and Radzivila is a kind of nyalubaga.

I remember Teta...

Taksama, as I remember, that you did not fall: That brud, that you are all,

Discount the clean water.

I remember how sweaty - oh dziva! —

You, who are tearing at everyone’s throats,

What a nuisance,

only spoil me and spoil me, -

Yak yany sweaty lesliva

ў the creature is out of sight,

I, xmo, scream like the worst, - the lowest one bent...

Oh my mighty king!

Make a desperate request

1 adgani hell for me about the bastards,

Why pause on my knees -

patsalavats may place I then hang out nyashchyra

nasy above the maya galava.

Yany, yak slapni, paablepyats

my white, cold my shroud

I will be: “Holy!*, “Holy!” - brooding thoughts of a babe.

Bony, I'm in trouble now

call me a saint,

Whom did they live, if they died,

Magli b utopіts i ў tears.

Can you hear me, my king is gentle?

Hutchey IX, hutchey adgan you -

I don’t want to be a saint!

It seems that King Sigismund is crying / a lot and a lot,

Glasses, Varvara’s request, it seems, he couldn’t accept...

K. Ya. Shishigina-Pototskaya

From the book “Legends of Nesvizh”", 1997

The castle, located in Nesvizh, is famous not only for its cultural significance, but also for paranormal phenomena. During the period when the Second World War, the palace was occupied by the Nazis and was used as a military hospital. Even then, wounded soldiers spoke of a ghost that lived within the walls of the structure. But the words of the servicemen were not taken seriously, and the doctors referred to their mild concussion.

The ancient legend about the Black Lady originates in the 16th century, during the period when the Radziwill family owned the castle. The young Lithuanian prince Zhigimont Augustus fell in love with the cousin of the first owner of the castle, Nikolai Cherny, Barbara. The girl lost her father and then her husband. The young widow's castle was located next to the prince's palace, so they saw each other often. As a result, these meetings led to a serious relationship.

Rumors about their romance quickly spread and their relatives found out about it. The Radziwills gave Zhigimont a choice: either he would marry Barbara, or he would no longer bother her. Knowing his place at court, the young prince made a difficult decision. He secretly married Barbara because he could not do otherwise. He hoped that when he became a full-fledged ruler, he would be able to tell everyone the truth. August told his mother that he would no longer see Barbara.

After the death of the old king, Augustus became the new monarch and they began to look for a queen for him. Then he told his relatives about his union with Barbara. The young king was prevented in every possible way from carrying out the coronation, but with the support of the Pope, everything went well. Augustus's mother, Bona Sforza, disapproving of her son's union, left for Italy, but before leaving, she paid the man who was supposed to kill her daughter-in-law. In the winter of 1550, Barbara was crowned, but six months later she died of poison. From that moment on, Barbara was expected to be reincarnated as the Black Lady. But how did this happen?

After the funeral, the sarcophagus with Barbara's body was placed in the Cathedral. Augustus Zigimont began to grieve from such a loss, and his kingdom plunged into darkness. The monarch was ready to give up all the wealth of the kingdom just to see his beloved again. After spending the whole day in the royal library, Augustus discovered ancient manuscripts that talked about how to summon the dead. In the ritual, which took place in the Cathedral, the king was helped by alchemists.

Since a short time had passed since Barbara's death, her soul had not yet left the world and could be summoned. The alchemists warned the king that he should not come into physical contact with the shell of Barbara's soul. Augustus was offered to tie himself to a chair, but he refused and promised to control himself. When, during the ritual, Zhigimont saw the spirit of his beloved, he could not resist and touched it. Because of this, the road that led to the other world was cut off for the spirit, and he was doomed to wander the earth.

According to legend, the ghost of the Black Lady still haunts the numerous corridors and rooms of Nesvizh Castle. A young girl in a dark and gloomy robe appears and warns people of the impending danger.

The legend of the Black Lady (the legend of the Black Panna) has lived in the ancient city for more than four centuries. This is what they say about her in Nesvizh.

In the middle of the 16th century, the owner of the city was the mighty and glorious Nikolai Radziwill, nicknamed the Black. In literature he is shown as a capable diplomat, an educated statesman, very influential in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, serving as the Grand Chancellor.

Radziwill, Nikolai Cherny
In 1547, Nikolai Cherny achieved the title of prince for himself and his brothers, but did not rest on this. He dreamed of removing the principality from the power of the Polish crown and becoming the most independent king in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. To fulfill his dream, Radziwill also used a new movement of religion - Protestantism. The prince himself accepted Calvin's teachings and invited numerous reformers to Nesvizh. It was at this time that the Nesvizh printing house began to operate, in which books were published in the Belarusian language. The influence of Nicholas the Black increased even more when he became related to the future Polish king Sigismund Augustus through his cousin Barbara Radziwill.

Barbara Radziwill.

The beautiful Barbara lived in Vilna. Her father was considered an experienced commander, who was called Hercules of Lithuania because he won 30 victories over the enemy.

Barbara Radziwill.

Barbara lost her father early, and soon her first husband. The castles of the young widow and Prince Sigismund were nearby. The prince did not remain indifferent to Barbara’s beauty. They started dating and soon fell deeply in love with each other.

Sigismund II Augustus.

The Black Lady (Black Lady of Nesvizh) of the Nesvizh Castle. Relatives learned about these meetings. Nesvizh Radzivil - Nikolai Cherny - was especially worried. He cared about his sister’s reputation and decided to take the necessary measures to protect her name and honor and his family from unwanted gossip. The danger was that the mother of the prince, Bona Sforza, fiercely hated the “upstart” Radziwills.

The old king was living his last days. His son was soon to become monarch. They looked for a wife for him among the influential royal courts of Europe.

After some time, old Sigismund died. The prince was urgently summoned to Krakow.

Bona Sforza in his youth and in a widow's dress in old age.
Bona Sforza is a Milanese princess, daughter of the Milanese Duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza and Isabella of Aragon.

Bona Sforza is actively looking for a bride for the young king. The marriage should strengthen the throne and increase the prestige of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Europe. The news came like a thunderclap that the king already had a wife. Bona Sforza makes every effort to prevent the Diet from crowning Barbara. To successfully resolve this issue, Nikolai Cherny had to make a special trip to Rome to see the pope. When the Diet was finally forced to crown Barbara, the Queen Mother left Krakow in protest and went to her homeland - Italy. She took the entire court with her, but left agents with the task of poisoning the hated Queen Barbara. The name of the pharmacist Monty has survived to this day, who, instead of the necessary medicine, prepared a poison that slowly but inexorably brought the blooming beauty to the grave. Barbara was crowned in December 1550, and 6 months later, in May 1551, she died.

Black Lady (Black Lady of Nesvizh) of Nesvizh Castle. The king's despair and grief were immeasurable. According to the will of the deceased, the coffin with her body was taken to Vilna. The inconsolable king followed the coffin on foot all the way from Krakow. Barbara was buried in the Cathedral on Gediminas Square. The sarcophagus with her remains is still there today.

The king was so sad after the death of his beloved that he decided to summon her soul with the help of alchemists. As historians testify, Tvardovsky and Mnishek (historical figures) undertook to do this. In the dimly lit hall, everything was prepared so that, with the help of mirrors, on one of which Barbara was engraved in full length in white clothes, beloved by the king, to play out the scene of the meeting of the king and the soul of Barbara. They sat the king in a chair and wanted to tie his hands to the armrests so that he would not accidentally touch the ghost. Sigismund gave his word that he would sit quietly and only ask his beloved from a distance how he should live further. But when the ghost appeared, he forgot his oath out of excitement, jumped out of his chair, rushed to the ghost with the words: “My little fable!” - and wanted to hug her. There was an explosion, there was a corpse smell - now Barbara’s soul could not find its way to the grave, it would forever wander the earth.

Since that time she has been walking among people, and after the death of the king she settled in Nesvizh Castle. She always appeared in front of the living in a black robe as a sign of mourning for her lost love. The castle believed that the ghost warned the castle owners about the danger that threatened them - war, disease.

In the middle of the 18th century, the Black Lady began to perform new duties - she monitored the behavior of young beautiful girls and women. She taught some of them in dark places during balls, when they allowed themselves to appear in very open toilets. The Germans, who occupied Nesvizh twice, also believed in the existence of the Black Lady in the castle. When they saw something black at the end of the park, they shouted “Schwartz Frau!” shot in that direction and ran to hide.
In 2001, based on an ancient legend, at the National Academic Theater. Y. Kupala staged the play “Black Panna Nyasvizha” in Minsk. The production is a great success.