Description of the attraction
Krustpils is the historical name of the town of Jekabpils, but now it only refers to the railway station. The city was named Jēkabpils in honor of its famous founder and ruler, Duke Jēkabs. Krustpils Castle is one of the few that have survived from the Middle Ages. It is in good condition, being an architectural monument of national importance.
Krustpils Castle was the farthest fortress of the Archbishop of Riga on the Daugava. Its functions included the protection and protection of the eastern trade routes. In historical chronicles, the castle was first mentioned in 1318, when it was captured by the Order. It is possible that the Krustpils castle (Latvian - Krustpils pils) could have existed as early as 1237. Most likely, it was founded by Nikolos of Magdeburg, who was the bishop of the Livonian Order. The castle was erected on the right bank of the Daugava, it is assumed that the fortress was surrounded by a moat, traces of which have not survived to this day.
In 1561 Krustpils Castle became the property of the Polish king. During its long history, the castle has been repeatedly sieged. Great damage was sustained during the Northern War. After restoration work in the 18th century, the castle was expanded. A new building with roof mansards and baroque towers was erected, and a closed courtyard typical of the Middle Ages has been preserved.
Since 1585, for 3 centuries, the owners of the castle were the Korf family. Initially, Stefan Batory gave this fortress to Nicholas von Corfu, who was one of the best commanders of his army. The castle was turned from a military fortress into a luxurious palace.
During the First World War, although the castle was subjected to shelling, it was almost not damaged. During this period of hostilities, the artillery units of the Latgale and Zemgale regiments were located there. At the beginning of the Second World War, the 126th Rifle Regiment of the Red Army was located in the Krustpils Castle. In 1941, when the Germans occupied Latvia, there was a hospital here. In 1944, after the retreat of the Germans, the hospital became Soviet. After the end of the war, the Air Force warehouse was located here.
In 1994, the Krustpils Castle was transferred to the Jekabpils History Museum. The castle has an exposition dedicated to its history. Also on display is a collection of propaganda materials and posters from the Soviet era.
The preserved cellars of the castle with covered cross vaults will be interesting to see. You can also climb the gate tower, which was created in the 16-17 centuries. The purpose of the construction of this tower was to demonstrate the possessions of the then owners of the Krustpils castle - Korf. If you wish, after a tour of the castle, you can have a bite to eat at the cafe, which is located next to the castle.
Several legends are associated with the castle. According to one of the legends, when the knights decided to build a fortress in a chosen place, they could not manage to build a castle. No matter how many stones the workers put in during the day, the same amount of devil will be scattered at night. The knights tried in every possible way to pay off: they left money, and read prayers, and put up a cross - however, they were so sinful that they could not get rid of the devil. One sorcerer said that in order to calm the devil, you need to sacrifice a person to him. They did just that. They gave one of the workers a drink and walled it up in the foundation of the castle's main tower. Damn from that time and stopped interfering with them.
