Napoleon Orda was born in the village of Varacevičy in the Pinsky Uyezd of Minsk Governorate (now in Ivanava District of Belarus)[3] in his father's manor.

Orda took part in the failed November Uprising of 1830 against Russian Empire and served with distinction in the famous 4th Regiment (Czwartacy).

Finally in 1833, he settled in Paris, where he became one of the prominent members of the Polish diaspora there and one of the close friends of Fryderyk Chopin.

While in Paris he also studied painting briefly with Pierre Girard and started to portray his long lost motherland in countless sketches.

In Paris, Orda married Irene Bougle and worked as the head of Maison de Commission shop.

Besides their artistic value, they are a priceless source of information on the history and architecture of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, whose historical heritage was largely destroyed by the Germans during World War II.

Orda died on 26 April 1883 in Warsaw, but according to his last will he was buried in his native land, in Ivanava village, near Kobryn in his family crypt.

In 2010, Google commemorated Orda's date of birth by placing special logo with his work in Belarusian version of the search service.