Lyubcha

Lyubcha stands on the Neman near Novogrudok, where a fortified noble residence overlooked the river. Its castle began in 1581 under Jan Kiszka, a powerful Protestant magnate. He sought to make Lyubcha a centre of learning and faith, establishing a prayer house, school and printing works. The castle later belonged to the Radziwiłł family, serving as a residence as well as a defence. In 1655 Cossack forces under Ivan Zolotarenko crossed the Neman, captured the stronghold and devastated it, bringing the wars of the seventeenth century to the banks of the river.