The Sapieha family—power-brokers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth—built Ruzhany Palace in the late 1700s over the site of their earlier castle. In its heyday, Ruzhany’s famed theatre employed 100 performers. The palace also possessed a famous library and picture collection.

In 1831, the palace was leased to the Pines family as a textile factory, bringing wealth to the local Jewish community. Ruzhany’s palace, the Jewish community, and political independence all came to a violent end during World War II. Today, the region is controlled by Belarus, which has begun restoring Ruzhany to its former glory.