Napoleon Orda

Author: Newsmaker added 2-06-2013, 08:43

Napoleon Orda is a famous artist, pianist and composer whose life and activity were always associated with Belarus.

Napoleon Orda was born on February, 11 1807 in the village Varacevichy (now Ivanava district Brest region).

Orda graduated from the Svisloch High School in 1823 and entered Vilnius University where he was studying physics and mathematics. Here Orda joined an illegal students’ organization ”Zaryane“ and was excluded from the fourth course for participation in this organization.

Napoleon Orda took part in the uprising of 1830-1831. He received the main Polish military decoration the Virtuti Militari for his bravery.

After the uprising he had to go to Europe to escape from punishment and sending to Siberia for taking part in the revolt. He lived in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and finally in September 1833 he received the status of an emigrant in France and remained in Paris. From this time music and painting became his main priorities. He got acquainted with many well-known people in Europe culture – А. Mitskevich, F. Chopen, F. List and others. They had great impact on his talent.

He was the director of the Italian Opera in Paris from 1847 till it was closed because of the February Revolution of 1848.

Orda returned to Belarus in 1856 after Alexander II had announced the amnesty to political immigrants. He left his stable life and successful career in Paris to return to Varacevichy at the age of fourty-nine. Then he moved to Grodno (1862-1863), and later to Volyn, where he worked as a teacher of music General Adam Rzewuski' family.

Orda created near 1,115 water-colours and graphic works. Among them over 200 sketches were with views of towns of Belarus. This pictures describe us life of famous people and architectural monuments, such as Kamenets Tower, castles, monasteries and palaces at Mir, Navagrudak, Niasvizh and Grodno and other. Nowadays his pictures are kept in Cracow, Warsaw, Lviv. A large collection of his lithographs are kept at the National Library of Belarus.

He is also known as a composer. Orda is the author of over 20 polonaises, waltzes, mazurkas, serenades and nocturnes.

Napoleon Orda died in Warsaw on April, 26 1883. According to his testament he was buried in Janov (now Ivanovo Brest region) in his family crypt.

In 2007 the celebration of Napoleon Orda's 200th birth anniversary was included in the calendar of UNESCO's memorable dates.

His picture of Niasvizh Castle was placed on the banknote of Br 100 000.