1918. From February 2, 1919, Orsha became a part of Homyel region (Vitebsk region, 1920) of Soviet Russia. After the formation of the Soviet Union, it was transferred to the Byelorussian SSR in 1924.
The population before World War II was about 37,000. The city was occupied by Germany on July 16, 1941. The occupiers founded several concentration camps in the city, where an estimated 19,000 people were killed.
There is a widespread Soviet myth of Katyusha Katyusha multiple rocket launcher's maiden attack of July 14, 1941 at Orsha, destroying a station with several supply trains. This legend obviously conflicts the fact that Orsha remained at the hands of the Soviet Army on July 14 and through July 15, 1941. And even on July 16, 1941 the German troops were unlikely to invade Orsha aboard their supply trains. Thus, had the Katyusha�s rockets fallen on any supply trains on July 16, 1941 those would have been the Soviet trains unable to have left Orsha railroad station. See Russian Wikipedia's article "??????????? ?????????? ????????" ("Guards Mortars"). The multiple rocket launchers were top secret in the beginning of World War II and any records of their actions in July 1941 were forbidden, which fact led to numerous rumors and myths. The Soviets encouraged and co-ordinated undercover anti-fascist resistance groups, and one of the most famous was a partisan brigade under the command of Kanstantsin Zaslonau (Konstantin Zaslonov), operating from the Orsha train depot. His group planted ninety-three bombs on German trains in just three months. After March 1942, he went in hiding in the forests, where he and his group continued guerilla warfare. He was killed in action on November 14, 1942. Soviet troops liberated Orsha on June 27, 1944.
Sports
The bandy club Start has produced players for the Belarus national bandy team.
Population change
� 16th-17th century: est. 5,000
� 1776:
