Belarusian lands lie on the crossroads of Europe. The strive of Vikings and later Scandinavians South, the attacks of Tartars from South, The Teutonic and later German invasions from West, the continuous onslaught of Muscovy and later Russian Empire from East - all these factors have shaped a system of fortifications across Belarusian lands. These pages look back into the military history of Belarus. One should know a complicated history of Belarusian statehood to understand the factors that were involved in shaping Belarusian castles and knighthood. Initially a number of smaller principalities it was later unighted by invited Lithuanian duke into a Slavic Principality with center in Navahrudak, that later grew into an enormous multi-cultural state - The Grand Duche of Lithuania - which spanned from Baltic to Black Sea. While some of this expansion was voluntary other growth was done through military invasions and battles. And so Belarusian military knowledge was acquired through constant clashes with and assimilations of these very different cultures. The colorful map below shows the modern territory of Belarus with the monuments if Belarusian architecture, including castles, that survived 12 stormy ages of Belasian history.
1. Kreva.
2. Hal'shany
3. Navahradak - here the Grand Duche of Lithuania was born in 1240.
4. Lida
5. Muravanka
6. Synkavichy
7. Kamianets Tower
8. Biarescie(Brest)
9. Kosava
10. Mir Castle
11. Niasvizh
12. Smalyany
13. Zaslaue
14. Ruzhany
