Vorotsevichi. Museum of Napoleon Orda.

Napoleon Orda was born in the Krasny Dvor tract near Vorotsevichi in 1807. He graduated from the Svisloch gymnasium, then studied at the Vilnius University. N. Orda participated in the patriotic student society, then took part in the uprising of 1830-1831. For this, after the suppression of the uprising, Orda was sentenced to exile in Siberia, but he managed to escape to Europe, where he later received his first recognition. He settled in Paris, where he wrote music and architectural landscapes with city views.

Returning to his homeland, he lived in Pinsk from 1856, then moved to Ukraine in 1862. During his travels, he constantly painted the sights of Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania, as well as urban and rural landscapes. Napoleon Orda died in Warsaw in 1883. He was buried in Ivanovo in the family crypt. In August 1997, the only monument to Napoleon Orda in the world was erected in Ivanovo.

In 2007, an art gallery was opened in Vorotsevichi. It features paintings by local artists and interesting artifacts from the Ivanovo District museum collection. Another room in the gallery hosts temporary exhibitions.

In the museum, which opened in 2016, all the exhibitions are dedicated to the life and work of Napoleon Orda. Here you can learn about his childhood and subsequent years of life, the difficult period of emigration, the last years of his life. The museum presents copies of the artist's works, as well as things from his native estate, which are related to various periods of his life. The museum has very valuable copies of the artist's works, which were made by restorers on original 19th century paper.

The museum has 5 halls. In the first hall we can get acquainted with the childhood of N. Orda, his family and the history of the family estate. The second hall is dedicated to Orda's participation in the uprisings and the period of emigration. In the third hall we can admire the artist's works: copies of watercolor landscapes, all kinds of drawings, lithographs. In the fourth hall there is an exhibition of works by Grodno photographer Andrey Yankovsky "The 19th Century Visiting the 21st Century", who traveled around the iconic objects that Orda once painted. It is very interesting to compare modern photographs with old images of the same places and consider how they looked before: these are the Kamenets tower, and the Nesvizh and Mir castles, Novogrudok, Grodno, many estates, churches and monasteries. In the fifth hall, decorated with the works of Napoleon Orda, meetings, conferences and seminars, as well as marriage registrations, are held.

The museum houses unique exhibits: a chest from Napoleon Orda's estate; an openwork hinge from the front door of Orda's house; coins issued by the National Bank for the 200th anniversary of the artist's birth; a collection of Brockhaus and Efron dictionaries.

The museum complex itself is located on a very well-kept area, which is pleasant to walk around. It is definitely worth visiting for all those who love to explore their native lands and want to touch the rich heritage left behind by our talented compatriot Napoleon Orda.