Senno is one of the oldest cities in Vitebsk Region with a rich history dating back to the 15th century. The name of the city probably comes from the hay trade that took place at local fairs, or has Finno-Ugric origins.
Senno is first mentioned in documents from the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: "On the rshi at Oboletsh village Senno Milash Voyshvilovu (given) to prince Odintsov village Prikhabi". Milash Voyshvilov received the right to manage the estate from Grand Duke Casimir Jagiellonczyk.
The list of troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania mentions the Senno princes.
Moscow troops of Ivan the Terrible under the leadership of voivode Prince Boris Gorbaty burned Senno. In the same year, Senno is mentioned as an estate of the Vitebsk district of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
A legal process is underway between the owners of Senno - Prince Dmitry Vidunitsky-Lubetsky, his stepson Grigory Sennensky-Gribovsky and the rector of the Oboletsky church for ownership rights to the estate.
Senno is mentioned when describing the border of the Vitebsk Voivodeship: "occupying Senno with all Vyatso Plebanskoye, on the border of the Druzk, Lukaml, Belitsa princes, Palonnoye and Lemnitsa, and Aboltse and all Smolyane".
Dmitry Fyodorovich Sapieha builds a castle in Senno according to the classical model of the XVI-XVII centuries of the "palazzo in fortezza" type - a fortress-palace. According to this project, the palace buildings were deprived of defensive functions, which were performed by systems of fortifications around the palace. The castle was destroyed and burned by Swedish troops during the Northern War (1700-1721). Now a sports and recreation complex stands on the site of the castle.
Senno was owned by Regina Korsak-Sokolińska. Her husband Andriash Druccy-Sokoliński received the city as a dowry.
Martin Kurcz, former Felin starosta (Felin - modern Estonia, former residence of the Master of the Livonian Order), officially transferred to his son Eustachy the ownership of the fourth part of the Senno estate, including the castle, town and all accompanying possessions with churches and funds.
Senno owner Eustachy Kurcz builds a wooden church of the Order of Francis of Assisi.
The owners of Senno were again the Druccy-Sokoliński. Daughter of Andriash Druccy-Sokoliński Eleanor together with her husband Nikolai Grigorievich Khlevinsky sell the estate to the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapieha.
The owner of Senno becomes Minsk castellan Józef Lubiecki, but in the same year the estate passes to Krzysztof Tyszkiewicz and his wife Teresa.
Vilnius architect Johann Wilhelm Freser, commissioned by the owners of Senno Tadeusz and Jadwiga Ogiński, builds a brick church in the Baroque style, consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. With the permission of Pope Clement XIV, the relics of Saint Fortunatus are transferred from Rome to it. The church operated until 1937, and was blown up in 1962.
A Franciscan monastery was built in Senno, where monks opened the first boys' school in the city. As a result of the first partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Senno became part of the Russian Empire, receiving the status of a county town of the Orsha province.
Senno becomes a county town of the Mogilev province.
The project for ordering the layout of Senno has been approved. According to it, an administrative building in the classical style was erected in the city, which was dismantled in 1974-1975. Now the district executive committee building is located in its place.
On May 22, Senno was visited by Catherine II, who was traveling from Polotsk to Mogilev to meet with the Austrian Emperor Joseph II. In her diary she noted: "The road between Senno and Shklov is very picturesque in places and resembles an English park."
By decree of the Russian Empress Catherine II, the coat of arms of Senno was approved: two golden scythes on a green field under the image of a double-headed eagle.
Senno becomes part of the Belarusian province.
Senno again becomes part of the Mogilev province. In the same year, the city was visited by Russian mineralogist V.M. Severgin, who inspected schools and explored the local spring "Kaplichka" and noted the healing properties of its hydrogen sulfide water. The spring, above which there was previously a small church (dismantled in 1937), is today a natural monument and a symbol of the city.
Senno played an important strategic role in the Patriotic War of 1812 as a key point on the path of movement of Russian and French troops. Reconnaissance detachments passed through the city, Murat's forces were concentrated here, and Napoleon's retreat routes were considered. Russian troops under the command of Kutuzov controlled this area to block possible retreat routes of the French army.
In the same year, the owner of the city Xavier Puslovsky builds a wooden Intercession Church in Senno, which was destroyed in 1939-1940. Now the editorial office of the district newspaper "Golas Sennenshchyny" is located in its place.
On May 25, 1861, one of the largest fires on the territory of the city of Senno occurred. As a result, most of the city burned down, only a few houses remained on the edges. The Orthodox St. Nicholas Church also burned down.
B. Koehne developed a coat of arms project: 2 golden crossed scythes on a green shield.
On September 10, 1864, the laying of a new church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker took place on the site of the burned St. Nicholas Church. On the same day, a 2-class public school opened in the city.
A district school operates in Senno, where the famous ethnographer, folklorist, local historian, historian, founder of Belarusian humanities Yevdokim Romanov teaches.
On the site of the former Uniate Church of Elijah the Prophet in Senno, a stone Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral is being built - the main church of the district. Built according to the model of Russian architecture of the 17th century. Dismantled for bricks in 1934 by order of the Senno District Committee of the CP(b)B, from which the House of Culture was built in 1935. In 1961, secondary school No. 2 was built on this site.
On July 30, the famous Belarusian artist, composer, musician Napoleon Orda came to Senno, who made a watercolor drawing of the town. The work is in the Folk Museum of Krakow (Poland). A color copy made by local historian Vasily Bondarevich is kept in the central district library.
A telegraph line was laid to Senno, a postal station operated.
On February 27, 1887, a letter was sent to the empress with a proposal to elevate the parish St. Nicholas Church in the city of Senno to a cathedral with a corresponding increase in the church staff. The order was approved in the same year, and shortly thereafter the cathedral St. Nicholas Church was erected.
The city had 4,100 inhabitants, of which 2,471 were of Jewish faith (60%).
Senno Women's Parish School was founded.
The classic of Belarusian literature Yanka Kupala (Ivan Dominikovich Lutsevich) served in the estate of the Svyatsky in Belitsa.
There were 10 industrial and 6 craft enterprises, a printing house, a library, 2 hospitals.
The book of local historian K.Ts. Anikevich, a student of Yevdokim Romanov, "Senno district of Mogilev province" was published.
On Soviet Street (formerly Sadovaya or Officerskaya) in Senno, a zemstvo administration building was erected - an example of civil style with elements of classicism. Today it houses a local history museum, a House of Crafts and a children's library.
In March, the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was created. In November, Soviet power was established in Senno.
On February 27, the first county congress of Soviets of rural, workers' and soldiers' deputies was held in Senno. On May 1, the first issue of the newspaper "Izvestia of the Executive Committee" (now "Golas Sennenshchyny") was published. On August 9-10, the Left SR uprising was suppressed.
Senno became part of the Vitebsk province of the RSFSR.
Higher pedagogical courses worked in Senno. At the same time, the famous Belarusian clerical poet, public figure of the "Nashaniv" period, friend of Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas Andrei Zyazula (real name - Alexander Stepanovich Ostrovich) died. He was a priest of the Senno church. Buried in Senno, but the exact burial place is unknown.
On July 17, Senno district was created as part of the Vitebsk district.
A railway line Orsha-Lepel was laid through the territory of the district (15 kilometers from Senno).
Senno district became part of Vitebsk region.
The first power plant was built in Senno.
A flax plant started operating in Senno.
4,305 inhabitants (2,805 Belarusians, 1,056 Jews, 327 Russians). There were a flax plant, a zootechnical school, a hotel, a hospital, and a cinema.
On July 6, the city was occupied by German troops, but on the same day it was liberated by a counterattack of the 20th Army under the command of Lieutenant General P.A. Kurachkin. On July 6-10, one of the largest tank battles of the beginning of the war (more than 1,500 tanks on both sides) - the Lepel counterattack - took place near Senno. On July 8, the city was captured again. From July 10, 1941 to June 25, 1944, the Senno region was occupied by the Nazi invaders.
The territory of the Senno region was part of the Senno-Orsha partisan zone.
In April, the Senno underground district committees of the CP(b)B and the LKSMB began to operate. In 1943, there were 40 underground organizations and groups with a total of 170 people on the territory of the district.
On June 25, 1944, Senno was liberated by the Red Army.
A department store was built in Senno.
The Senno dry skimmed milk plant started operating.
The first Senno Marathon dedicated to the memory of P.M. Masherov was held in the city.
Senno district and the city of Senno were united into one administrative unit.
In August, the Senno District Historical and Local Lore Museum was opened.
The first liturgy was served in the new church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Senno.
On January 20, by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 36, the coat of arms of Senno and Senno district was approved: two crossed golden scythes on a green field. By Decree No. 277, the flag of Senno and Senno district was established.
On September 10, a monument (IS-3 tank) to the largest tank battle near Senno in 1941 was installed on Komsomolskaya Square in Senno.
Senno was awarded the pennant "For Courage and Fortitude during the Great Patriotic War" on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.
| Year | Population | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1803 | 860 | |
| 1867-69 | 2418 | Universal calendar |
| 1870-1876 | 2427 | Universal calendar |
| 1879 | 2508 | Universal calendar |
| 1881 | 2583 | Universal calendar |
| 1883-96 | 3000 | Universal calendar |
| 1897-98 | 3300 | Universal calendar |
| 1899-1911 | 4061 | Universal calendar, (according to the 1897 census) |
| 1912-1914 | 4200 | Universal calendar |
| 1935 | 4305 | |
| 1959 | 5368 | |
| 1970 | 5239 | |
| 1979 | 6031 | |
| 1989 | 8991 | |
| 2006 | 8418 | |
| 2009 | 8007 | |
| 2016 | 7385 | |
| 2017 | 7238 | |
| 2018 | 7165 | |
| 2019 | 7092 | |
| 2023 | 7158 | |
| 2025 | 6974 |