The conference is organized by the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Mir Castle Complex Museum, with the support of the Culture Ministry. The event will serve as one of the major academic forums dedicated to the study of Belarus’ historical and cultural heritage. 

The program includes presentations on archaeology, anthropology, history, cultural studies, and other disciplines, with over 80 speakers registered. «We are bringing together scholars and researchers who will make reports on Mir Castle, Minsk fortified settlement, Krevo, Novogrudok, and Ruzhany. Studies of other sites allow us to draw parallels and discover new approaches. This is important not only for understanding the history of each architectural specimen but also for its reconstruction,» said Aleksandr Dovnar, Academic Secretary of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences.

Among the participants is a young researcher Aleksandr Tserkovny. He works with materials from the Russian State Historical Archive and the Presidential Library of Russia. The researcher has uncovered documents that may be of significant interest for studying the history of Mir Castle and the region.

A dedicated section will be devoted to the history of the Mir region. «A castle without people, without human stories, is nothing. That’s why a special section is focused on the history of the entire region,» the academic secretary noted.

Today, much of the scientific research conducted by Belarusian scholars is directly linked to the development of the Mir Castle complex. In particular, over the past three years, with financial support from the museum, archaeological research has been carried out on the foundations of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky Palace. Archeologists uncovered the remains of the foundation dating from the late 16th to early 17th century. «The palace foundations have been incorporated into a separate tour program, so visitors have the opportunity to see the archaeological finds and learn about the excavations and the things that were discovered,» said Olga Novitskaya, Deputy Director for Research and Education at the Mir Castle Complex Museum.

She noted that a significant amount of archaeological material was also obtained during large-scale investigations of the castle grounds in the 1980s. Some of those finds are now on display in the museum’s exhibition. 

Director of the Mir Castle Complex Museum Aleksandr Loyko, in turn, emphasized that all work at Mir Castle is carried out in close collaboration with researchers. «For three years, with the help of specialists from the Institute of History, we conducted excavations on the grounds adjacent to Mir Castle,» he said.

The castle complex has many projects in the pipeline. After the completion of work on the Italian Park, the next stages will include tidying up the English Park and restoring the Svyatopolk-Mirsky Palace. 

The first day of the conference will take place at Mir Castle, and on 11 September the event will continue in Minsk at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The outcomes of the conference will be compiled into a book from the book series Belarus Through the Lens of Regional History.

The book will be devoted to the defensive architecture of Belarus and Mir Castle. «It will be a scholarly and popular science publication, covering history, archaeological research, and case-study materials. The book will also be available for sale at Mir Castle,» representatives of the Institute of History noted. 

The main events celebrating the 500th anniversary of Mir Castle are scheduled for 4-6 June 2027. Mir Castle was first mentioned in historical chronicles on 8 April 1527.