| Orpa | |
| Native Name: | Орпа |
| Native Name Lang: | be |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Belarus |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Coordinates: | 54.5603°N 27.1783°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Belarus |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Minsk Region |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Vileyka District |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | FET |
| Utc Offset: | +3 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Blank Name: | License plate |
Orpa (Belarusian: Орпа, Yiddish: אָרפּאַ) is a village located in the Vileyka District of Minsk Region, Belarus. It is situated in the northwestern part of the country.
Orpa is positioned in a rural area, surrounded by forests and agricultural lands. The village is approximately 800NaN0 north of Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and 200NaN0 from the district center, Vileyka.[1]
Orpa is also the name of a river in the Vileyka District of Minsk Region. The river is 9 km long and begins 1.5 km northwest of the village of Arpa, flowing into the Vileyka Reservoir near the village of Rabun. The lower part of the river is canalized for 2 km and receives drainage from reclamation channels.[2]
Orpa has been known from written sources since the 17th century. In 1629, the estate in the Oshmiany district of the Vilnius Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was owned by the landowner from Oshmiany, Sofia Sirotina. In 1690, the estates were: Arpa Ripnitsa — S. Alshevsky, Arpa Khvedarovshchina — S. Rymynsky, Arpa Fedorovshchina — S. Sirota, and Arpa Lotki — V. Valadkovich.
The land that Orpa occupies was once part of the extensive holdings of Count Potocki, one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in Poland. The Potocki family were prominent landowners and political figures, with vast estates spread across Poland and Belarus.
After the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1793), the area became part of the Russian Empire. In 1800, the village in the Vileyka district of the Minsk province was jointly owned by R. Slizn (9 yards, 62 residents, 6 Jewish townspeople), A. Khodzko (2 yards, 23 residents), L. Bogdanovich (1 yard, 4 residents), and local nobility (2 yards, 7 residents).
In 1812, after the failure of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the defeated French army passed through the territory of Count Potocki. Among the soldiers was Rabbi Mordechai Chodosh, who had been drafted as a physician. When the Count's son fell gravely ill, Mordechai's successful treatment of the boy earned him the Count's gratitude. As a reward, Count Potocki offered Mordechai a lease on a piece of his land in White Russia, and a job as the family physician. Due to restrictions on Jewish land ownership, a renewable 99-year lease was arranged.[3]
Mordechai named the estate Orper Hof, inspired by the Biblical Orpah. Over time, the name of the estate was adopted for the surrounding area, which became known as Orpa. The estate quickly became a hub of activity, featuring various agricultural and industrial operations, including orchards, a dairy, a sawmill, and a water mill. It was self-sustaining, producing its own food, fabrics, and a popular fermented drink called Kvass. [4]
The estate had over 15 disintines of land, with one disintine being more than 2,700 acres. It had various orchards of cherry, apple, and pear trees, a logging camp, fabric production facilities, and a meat processing plant. The Pony Express was also quartered there for the local government. The estate served the local community with a cheder for Jewish children, a soup kitchen for the poor, and a pharmacy run by the family.[5]
Orpa flourished under the Chodosh family for over a century, but its prosperity ended during World War II when the Nazis destroyed it, leaving only a stone well as a remnant. On January 6, 1950, a kolkhoz named "Stalin Constitution" was established in the area.[6] [7]
Administratively, in 1897, the village was part of the Knyaginin volost in the Vileyka district of the Vilnius province. In 1921, it became part of Poland, located in the Kostyanevich gmina of the Vileyka district in the Vilnius voivodeship.
From November 1939, it was incorporated into the BSSR. Initially, from December 4, 1939, it was part of the Vileyka district in the Vileyka region. Then, from January 15, 1940, it became part of the Kuranets district, and from October 12, 1940, it was within the Kostyanevich village council.
The village was occupied by the Nazis from June 25, 1941, to July 3, 1944. After the war, from September 20, 1944, it was again part of the Kuranets district, and from July 5, 1946, it was included in the Vileyka district of the Molodechno region.
Since 1991, Orpa has been part of independent Belarus. On May 28, 2013, the village was transferred from the Kostyanevich village council to the Krivaselsk village council.[8]
As of the latest data, the village of Orpa has a small population, primarily consisting of local Belarusians engaged in agriculture and related activities.[9]
The community in Orpa is known for its traditional Belarusian culture, with local festivals and events that reflect the heritage of the region. The village maintains a quiet, rural atmosphere, with close-knit community ties.[10]