Attractions of Poltava

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 Poltava Literary and Memorial Museum of Volodymyr Korolenko was opened in the house where the writer and his family lived for the last 18 years of his life and where he died in 1921.

The writer's creativity is closely connected with Ukraine, where he was born and spent his childhood, and where he returned towards the end of his life. In Poltava, Korolenko worked on a large autobiographical work, "The History of My Contemporary", which was supposed to summarize everything he had experienced and systematize his philosophical views. The work remained unfinished. The writer died while working on the fourth volume. He was buried on the territory of Peremohy Park near the estate.

The estate itself was restored after the war. The complex includes a building-museum (memorial part), a wing (exhibition hall), a garden. In the reconstructed office of Korolenko, you can see his desk, writing instruments, and a wooden couch.