People say a castle cannot be built on sand. However, it was sand that Lida Castle was built on. In spite of its unsteady base the castle has been standing for 7 centuries. The castle protected its hosts throughout dangerous medieval epoch of intestine fights, resisted assaults of crusaders and raids of Tartars. Even after having been destroyed by the Swedes during North War the castle sheltered rebels headed by Tadeusz Koscuszka.
Lida Castle was built in the 14th century. The century appeared to be a severe trial for a young country that would bear the name of Belarus in the future but was entitled as Great Lithuanian, Russian and Zhemoit Principality those times. Over the whole 14th century German crusaders tried to spread power of their mighty order over the territory of «Belarusian barbarians». That very time a chain of castles — a kind of defense barrier — was erected along the frontiers of our country. That very line, consisting of castles in Navahrudak, Lida, Krevo, Medniki, Troki, was the fence where the attacks of German troops got smashed over. Those fortifications were the first stone castles in Belarus.The stones for construction works were dragged from nearby fields by peasants. It was a very hard work and even long time later Belarusian peasants used the damnation related to that kind of labor: «Wish you to pull stones for the castle all your life long!»
Theodore Narbut who was an amateur historian of the 19th century from Lida mentioned exact date of construction works commencement of Lida Castle: the year of 1323. Though Narbut cannot be entirely trusted as he used to mix historic facts with legends, the excavations confirmed that the Castle was built in the 30s of the 14th century. Lida Castle was built at a confluence of two small rivers Lidea and Kamenka in low and swampy area and that is why an artificial hill of sand and gravel 6 meters in height was raised before the construction works began.
Lida Castle is one of the biggest buildings of the kind in Belarus. The dimensions of his courtyard amounted approximately to 80 x 80 meters. The castle housed an entire settlement with paved square in the middle, wooden houses and two wells. The garrison permanently lived within the castle.
Now partially restored castle proudly towers over the city of Lida in its very center. For a long time the city itself and its history seemed so small and insignificant compared to the huge castle and its stormy destiny. It is commonly assumed that Lida appeared as a settlement adjoining the castle. For the first time Lida was mentioned in «the List of Russian Cities» between 1387 and 1406. The word «Lida» either derives from Russian «lyada» meaning a place cleared from forest or from the name of Lidea River. Of course, besides prosaic scientific versions there exists a number of quite poetic legends related to the name of the city.
The lock in Lida is wished to be called risen from ruins. A few years ago restored one of towers (now their two) and part of a wall. But works aren't ended yet. As the director of the Lidsky historical and art museum Anna Drab, this year by a holiday of the city which is celebrated in September told, in a court yard of the lock there will be craft ranks.