Attractions of Poltava

A monument to Hetman of Ukraine Ivan Mazepa was erected in Poltava in 2016 in front of the Assumption Cathedral, built at his expense.

This is the first full-length monument to Mazepa (busts were previously installed in Mazepintsy and Chernihiv). The 3.2-meter-high bronze sculpture was made by the sculptor Mykola Bilyk back in 2009, but the opening of the monument was preceded by a long public debate about its expediency, since Russian and Soviet propaganda for a long time formed a negative image of the hetman, who sought to remove Ukraine from the political influence of Muscovy.

A key episode of the Northern War of 1709 is connected with Poltava, when the troops of the Moscow Tsar Peter I defeated the army of the Swedish King Charles XII and his ally Ivan Mazepa. This event is immortalized by many monuments in the city, but almost all of them are dedicated to Russians and Swedes.

Funds for the installation of a monument to the Ukrainian hetman were collected by the public.

The memorial sign to the Poltava halushka, installed next to the observation deck on Ivanova Hill, is considered one of the symbols of modern Poltava.

The authors of the monument are the artist Anatoliy Chornoshchokov and the sculptor Mykola Tsys. The opening of the monument in 2006 was dedicated to the birthday of the writer Mykola Hohol, who praised halushka in his works.

Initially, the monument was erected near the Dormition Cathedral, but at the request of believers, it was later moved closer to the Lileya restaurant.

This place is popular with newlyweds and guests of the city. Every year in the first decade of June, the Poltava Halushka Festival is held near the monument.

The Museum of Heavy Bomber Aviation was established on the territory of Poltava Military Airfield, where the 13th Guards Dnipropetrovsk-Budapest Order of Suvorov Heavy Bomber Aviation Division was based in Soviet times.

It consisted of 18 long-range supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers (Backfire), 6 long-range jet missiles Tu-16 (Badger) and other equipment. After the collapse of the USSR, the division was disbanded. According to the Ukrainian-American Agreement on the Elimination of Strategic Nuclear Weapons, in February 2006 the last TU-22M3 bomber was cut down at the Poltava military airfield.

2 planes were saved for the museum exposition, some more were brought from other cities. In particular, the exposition of the open parking lot of aircraft presents the world's largest strategic bomber TU-160 "White Swan" (according to NATO classification - "Blackjack"). And also the only Tu-95MS aircraft in Ukraine (according to NATO classification - "Bear"). Other exhibits: Tu-22M3, Tu-22, Tu-16, Tu-134UBL, Su-15, An-2 and helicopters: Mi-8 and Mi-2.

In addition, 13 halls in the exhibition hall tell about the history and global significance of heavy bomber aircraft.

The monument to the writer Mykola Hohol in Poltava was erected in 1934, although it was created before the revolution.

In 1913, the city public of Poltava began to collect funds for a monument to their outstanding compatriot, and 2 years later, the sculptor Leonid Posen handed over the sculpture made by him to the city. The sculptor depicted Hohol sitting in thought with a book in his hand.

The monument was planned to be erected on the square in front of the drama theater, but the First World War stood in the way of these plans. Under the Bolsheviks, they initially did not want to erect a monument for ideological reasons, since Hohol came from a noble family. Only in 1934, the monument took its current place on the boulevard part of Mykoly Hoholya Street.

The Poltava Literary and Memorial Museum of Panas Myrny is located on the outskirts of Poltava, at the end of the former Tretya Kobyshchanska Street.

It was here in 1903 that the writer bought a small one-story house, where he lived for the last 17 years of his life. He was visited by Lesya Ukrayinka and Olena Pchilka, Mykhaylo Kotsyubynsky and Vasyl Stefanyk, Mariya Zankovetska and Mykola Lysenko.

In 1940, a museum was opened in the estate. More than 150 manuscripts of Panas Myrny and his brother Ivan Bilyk, about 1,000 personal belongings of the writer's family, books, documents and photographs are collected in seven rooms. The writer's son Mykhaylo Rudchenko managed the museum for over 20 years.

In 1951, a monument to Panas Myrny was erected in the yard of the manor - a bronze bust of the writer on a labradorite pedestal.

In 1989, a literary exposition was opened in the new premises.

The central square of the city is a ring, in the center of which is the Corpusny Garden with the Glory Monument in honor of the 100th anniversary of the victory over the Swedes near Poltava (1806-1811, architect Zhan-Fransua Toma de Tomon, sculptor Feodosiy Shchedrin). According to legend, Petro I met the defenders of the city at this place.

Administrative buildings were built around the square in 1809-1811: The present places (now - the City Council), the Noble Assembly (now - the Ivan Kotlyarevsky cinema), the House of the Governor-General (now - the Council of Trade Unions), the Malorosiyskyi Post Office (now - the Poltava School of Arts) , Petrivsky Cadet Corps (until recently (Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile School) and others. A modern shopping complex was built in the underground part.

A popular place for city walks.

The Poltava Art Museum is located in the new building of the Art Gallery (built in 1999; architect Yuriy Oliynyk).

The first art gallery in Poltava was started in 1919 by the Ukrainian archaeologist-scientist Mykhaylo Rudynskyi based on the collection of the itinerant artist Mykola Yaroshenko, which was presented to him. Among the 100 paintings were the works of Ivan Shishkin, Vasyl Polenov, Volodymyr Makovsky, Illya Repin, Vasyl Maksimov and others. The collection included artistic values from the nationalized estates of the Kochubeys (Dykanka), the Galagans (Sokyryntsi), the Kapnists (Obuhivka), and the Repnins (Yahotyn).

The collection of Western European paintings includes unique works by Giovanni Tiepolo, Peter Paul Rubens, Melchior de Hondecuter, Adrian van Ostade, Elizabeth Viget-Lebrun, Carl Peters and others.

For a long time, the museum was located in the former mansion of the landowner Bolyubash (1912), but due to the state of emergency of the premises in 2000, it was forced to move to the current location.

Poltava Museum of Local Lore after Vasyl Krychevsky is located in the former building of the present places of the provincial zemstvo.

The building of the provincial zemstvo was built by the architect Vasyl Krychevsky in the Art Nouveau style with elements of the Ukrainian folk style (this fact caused dissatisfaction of Emperor Mykola II). The interior painting was made by prominent artists Serhiy Vasylkivsky and Mykola Samokysh. The facade is decorated with coats of arms of county towns of the province.

The basis of the museum's exposition was laid in 1891 by scientist Viktor Dokuchayev. Today there are more than 300,000 exhibits in 40 museum halls and vaults. Among the rarities - the ancient Egyptian collection, works of ancient and oriental art, Cossack relics.

The museum is temporarily closed for restoration.

Since 1962, the modest Saint Macarius Church has been the cathedral of the Poltava Diocese.

The small parish Macarius church was built on the outskirts of the city at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the prophecy of the foolish Kuzma Ivashyn from Horbanivka, who lived in the 20s of the last century, this church was supposed to withstand the calamity and later become a cathedral, since almost all other churches of the city would be destroyed. And so it happened - a wave of temple destruction in Soviet times bypassed the Macarius Church. And after the Transfiguration Cathedral was demolished in 1962, it really acquired the status of a cathedral.

Several restorations did not change its original appearance. Paintings from the beginning of the 20th century have been preserved in the interior, in the northern part of the church there is the largest shrine of the cathedral - the Horbaniv miracle-working icon of the Holy Mother of God (1786), in the Illinsky aisle - the revered Kapluniv miracle-working icon.

The Church of Nicholas the Wonderworker was founded during the construction of the Poltava Fortress, and was located on one of its bastions on Institute Hill.

At first it was wooden. In 1774, a new stone Saint Nicholas Church was built. By the middle of the 19th century, the small church could no longer accommodate all the parishioners, and in 1855, a two-story stone annex was built at the expense of the merchant Mykola Vakulenko, on the second floor of which the warm church of George the Victorious was located.

The main temple was destroyed during the Second World War (fragments of brick walls remained), and the annex was preserved - in Soviet times it was used as a production facility.

Currently, the Saint Nicholas Church is functioning. Belongs to the community of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The church of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleymon is located in the park named after Ivan Kotlyarevskyi, on the territory of which the city cemetery used to be located.

The All Saints Cemetery Church was located near the cemetery, in which at the end of the 19th century, the famous pope Hapon, the leader of the Christian trade union of St. Petersburg, the organizer of the mass march of workers on the day of "Bloody Sunday", served as a priest. During Soviet times, the All Saints Church was destroyed.

In 1999, by the decision of the city authorities of Poltava, the construction of the church of Saint Panteleymon was started nearby. On September 19, 2000, the church was consecrated, and on September 23 - the first divine liturgy.

The Church of Reverend Sampson on the Swedish grave in Poltava was founded in 1852 in honor of the victory of the Russian army over the Swedes in 1709.

Peter I himself wanted to build a temple on the Poltava battlefield, but the Holy Synod delayed the decision, and after the death of the emperor, the idea was forgotten. Privy councilor Yosyp Sudienko later decided to carry out Peter's will, allocating 100,000 rubles from his own funds, but he did not live to see the start of construction, and the city government began to spend his money not for its intended purpose. Only after the personal intervention of Tsar Nicholas I, the construction of the church began according to the project of the architect Joseph Charlemagne, and in 1856 the Sampson's Church was solemnly consecrated.

In 1893-1895, reconstruction was carried out, a second throne in honor of Saint Constantine was added to the church. The iconostasis was made in the workshop of the Moscow merchant Astafiev, the icons were painted by the artist Malyshev. In 1909, the belfry over the gate was completed.

The Savior Church (Spaska Church) is one of the oldest churches in Poltava, an example of traditional Ukrainian architecture.

The exact date of foundation is unknown. The first mentions of the Savior chapel of the Transfiguration Church are found in the 17th century. The official date of construction is considered to be 1705, when Savior chapel was rebuilt at the expense of Colonel Ivan Iskra as an independent wooden temple on the site of the burned-down Transfiguration Church.

According to legend, after the victory over the Swedes on the field of the Battle of Poltava, Peter I, who was resting in the house of Colonel Kelin next to the temple, offered a prayer of thanks for saving the city here.

In 1845, a stone tent was built over the church, and two years later a small stone belfry was erected. In 1849, a monument to the resting place of Peter I was erected nearby.

The Museum of Science in Poltava was opened in 2023 at the National University "Poltava Polytechnic named after Yuriy Kondratyuk" to the 205th anniversary of the establishment of the educational institution.

This is an interactive space where scientific discoveries made by mankind, inventions of Poltava Polytechnic scientists and the evolution of scientific progress are presented in an accessible and interesting form.

The basis of the exposition is made up of exhibits from the history of the Poltava Polytechnic - one of the most famous and oldest higher educational institutions of the Poltava region. It is located in the historical building of the Institute of Noble Girls - an architectural monument of the first half of the 19th century. The modern university was founded in 1930 as the Poltava Institute of Agricultural Construction.

The museum presents a model of the university building, models of mining machinery and oil production equipment.

15 exhibits from the mobile exposition of the Kyiv "Science Museum" are adapted both for children of primary school age and for adult visitors. By interacting with the exhibits and using the tips of the interpreters, visitors have the opportunity to learn about various laws and phenomena of physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, etc.

The Poltava Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after Mykola Hohol is the main and oldest theater stage of the region.

The year of his birth is considered to be 1808, when the "Poltava Free Theater" was opened in the city, which was managed by Ivan Kotlyarevsky from 1818. In 1901, a new building was built for the Poltava theater - the Educational House.

After the Second World War, the damaged building was converted into a Kolos cinema, and in 1958, a new pompous building was built for the Hohol Drama Theater, designed by the architects Oleksiy Krylov and Oleh Malyshenko.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Hohol Theater was considered one of the best in Ukraine. His production of "Natalka Poltavka" with the participation of People's Artist of the USSR Ivan Kozlovsky was successfully staged in Moscow.

In 2006, a monument to the legendary Marusa Churai, nicknamed the monument to Ukrainian song, was erected in the square next to the theater.