Attractions of Poltava district

The Bilsk Hillfort near Kotelva is the largest Scythian settlement in Europe (4 thousand hectares). Scientists identify the Bilsk Hillfort with the legendary city of Helon - the "Scythian capital" described by Herodotus.

The system of defensive ramparts and ditches that surrounded the city, with a total length of about 34 kilometers, is located on the banks of the Vorskla River around the present village of Bilsk. First, the Western and Eastern fortifications were built, then they were connected by a common oval-shaped rampart, which was called the Great Hillfort. In the northern part is the least explored Kuzemyn fortification.

According to one of the versions, it is this Scythian settlement described by the "father of history" Herodotus in the "History of the Greco-Persian Wars" (5th century BC) as the northernmost Greek city of Helon, founded in the Scythian lands by Hellenes who moved from the Black Sea.

To protect the archeological monument, the historical and cultural reserve "Bilsk" was created with the administration in the town of Kotelva (Pokrovska Street, 13), whose employees conduct tours of the ramparts, the Scythian necropolis of Skorobor, Barvinkova Mountain, the Skovoroda Oak and other archaeological and archaeological sites weekends - by prior authorization).

The wooden palisade and the watchtower at the entrance to the settlement are the buildings of the conserved open-air museum "Skifland", which planned to create the charitable foundation "Helon".

The most beautiful building in Poltava, which currently houses the regional office of the SBU, was built at the beginning of the 20th century for the Peasant and Noble Land Bank, which issued long-term loans to peasants for the purchase of noble lands.

Architect Oleksandr Kobelev designed the building, which is now considered one of the best examples of Ukrainian modernism. And the decorations are widely used details of Rus architecture. Multicolored mosaics give a special picturesqueness. The central entrance at the truncated corner of the building is decorated with a decorative mosaic panel with firebirds and siren sculptures.

The Building of Noble and Peasant Bank was damaged during the Second World War, restored in 1948.

The central square of the Poltava is a Round, in the center of which is the Corps 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.

The Round Square in Poltava is a popular place for city dwellers to walk.

The monument of Cossack glory in Poltava was opened in 1994. Dedicated to the Ukrainian Cossacks who died during the Battle of Poltava.

The authors of the project are sculptor Volodymyr Bilous, artist Viktor Baturin.

A huge Cossack cross with the laconic inscription "To Ukrainian fallen Cossacks" is placed on a massive granite base. At the foot of the symbolic mound - two bunchuks.

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 Literary and Memorial Museum of Ivan Kotlyarevsky was created in Poltava in 1969 based on the estate of the outstanding writer, recreated according to a drawing by Taras Shevchenko, made from nature in 1845. There is a house, a barn and a well-crane, which are immersed in the green garden.

Kotlyarevsky lived in Poltava most of his life. He studied at the Poltava Theological Seminary, later was the director of the Poltava Theater, and was even a member of the Poltava Masonic Lodge.

In his Poltava house, the classic of Ukrainian literature created most of his works, including the famous "Aeneid".

Details of the old building have been installed in the house restored to the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth. Inside, the atmosphere of the XIX century is very authentically recreated. Here are stored personal belongings of the writer, awards, manuscript pages of his works, the first editions of books.

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.

Ivanova Hill (Ivanova Hora) is the historical core of Poltava, the best scenic spot in the city. More than 11 centuries ago, the historic city of Ltava stood here on a high hill above the Vorskla River.

Later, an earthen Poltava fortress was built, which in the 18th century held back the advance of the Swedes for three months, until the army of Petro I approached. The wooden Podil tower (one of 15) was reconstructed, next to which it is planned to restore the Sentinel bastion of the Poltava fortress.

The panorama of the Vorskla Valley with the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery on the nearby hill opens from the White Arbor.

In 2006, a monument to the Poltava halushka, celebrated by writers, was erected near the Ivan Kotlyarevskyi museum and the Lileya restaurant.

The house of Krychevsky-Lebishchak in Opishnia is the premises of the former Opishnia Pottery Demonstration Point of the Poltava Provincial Zemstvo (Zemsky Pottery School).

It was built in 1916 in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau according to the project of the outstanding architect and painter Vasyl Krychevskyi, the author of the Ukrainian Trident, with the participation of Yuriy Lebishchak, an instructor of pottery production, technologist-ceramist from Galicia.

For many years, the Krychevsky-Lebischak House was the center of pottery life in Opishnia. In 1925, the Opishnia Ceramics Industrial School was opened here, in 1929, the "Art Ceramics" potter's workshop was formed, then the Opishnia School of Art Ceramics Masters, then shop No. 1 of the Opishnia Factory "Art Ceramics" operated.

Since 1986, the building has been owned by the National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery in Opishnia. The Wall of Pottery Glory of Ukraine and the Krychevsky Art Family Museum are open. There are exhibitions: "Pottery Visions of the Country", "Modern Ceramics of Ukraine, "Ceramics of the Opishnia Art Nouveau", etc. An exhibition of the works of the Krychevsky family has been opened.

The Museum of Boiled Borscht and the Museum of Living Bread were opened in Opishnia on the basis of the green tourism estate "Lyalyna svitlytsya" during the ethno-festival "Living Bread" in 2020.

The owner of the estate, Olena Shcherban, prepares daily borscht for guests according to a new recipe, of which she knows at least 365. Among them are wedding, funeral, winter, summer, white, brown and many others.

In one of the houses of the ethnic estate there is a collection of pots from different regions, stags, as well as a traditional oven in which dishes are prepared. Ingredients added to borscht in different regions of Ukraine are also presented.

The monument to the writer Mykola Hohol in Poltava was erected in 1934, although it was created before the Bolshevik coup of 1917.

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 memorial museum-estate of potter Mykola Poshyvailo was opened in 2025 in his native house in Opishnia on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the master's birth. The institution is a department of the National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery.

Mykola Poshyvailo was born in 1930 into an artistic family of potters Havrylo and Yavdokha Poshyvailo. He inherited from his parents the Opishnia pottery traditions and love for the craft. For many years he worked as a creative master at the "Artistic Ceramics" factory. He received the title of Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, was a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, a member of the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine, and a laureate of the All-Ukrainian Literary and Artistic Prize named after Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky. In his later years, he conducted master classes for visitors to the reserve.

A space of memory has been created in the house of Mykola Poshyvaylo, in which not only things, ceramics and archives are preserved, but also the spirit of creativity itself. A large collection of the master's original works is presented.

The National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery was founded in 1986 in Opishnia. This ancient village in the Poltava region has long been famous as the largest center of Ukrainian ceramic masters, the pottery capital of Ukraine.

The reserve has united a significant collection of works by folk potters and ceramic artists, creating a national treasury of Ukrainian pottery art. Today, it has a unique collection, numbering over 60 thousand units of preservation.

The main territory of the museum-reserve is well-maintained, decorated with examples of monumental clay sculpture, has many beautiful photo locations, places for recreation and an observation deck with a view of the ancient Slavic settlement of Opishna.

The National Open-Air Gallery of Monumental Clay Sculpture presents over 300 exclusive works of art by potters from Opishnia, including winners of the Taras Shevchenko Prize, as well as masters from other regions and abroad who participate in annual festivals of monumental ceramic sculpture.

The exhibition hall presents particularly valuable exhibits (dishes, children's toys, tiles, decorative panels), a large collection of books about pottery.

The youngest visitors will like the unusual inhabitants of "Ceramland" - a territory where you can meet a giraffe that eats clouds, a flock of cheerful ducklings, a baby mammoth and a dog-bench, a wind blower and surprised fish.

All visitors to the National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery receive a whistle as a gift. By prior arrangement, it is possible to meet a master who will demonstrate the art of working on a potter's wheel. The museum cafe "Horniatko" and a souvenir shop operate on the territory.

The National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery includes:
- Krychevsky Art Family Museum;
- Poshyvailo Potter's Family Memorial Museum-Estate;
- Oleksandra Seliuchenko Memorial Museum-Estate;
- Mykola Poshivailo Memorial Museum-Estate;
- Vasyl Omelianenko Memorial Museum-Estate;
- Leonid Smorzh Memorial Museum-Estate (Miski Mlyny village);
- Honcharia Ethnovillage (Mali Budyshcha village).

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.

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 foundation of the exposition of the local history museum in Poltava was laid in 1891 by the 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 Poltava Local Lore Museum after Vasyl Krychevsky is temporarily closed for restoration.