Orpa

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 Орпа
Village
Orpa
Coordinates: 54°33′37″N 27°10′42″E
Country	Belarus
Region	Minsk Region
District	Vileyka District
Time zone	UTC+3 (FET)

Geography

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.

History

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.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1866	135	—
1921	229	+69.6%
1931	242	+5.7%
1999	66	−72.7%
2009	41	−37.9%
2019	22	−46.3%

Culture and Community

The community in Orpa is known for its traditional Belarusian culture, with local festivals and events that reflect the heritage of the region.