Attractions of Poltava region

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 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.

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 National Museum-Reserve of Mykola Hohol was created in the village of Hoholeve (formerly Vasylivka, Yanivshchyna), where the writer spent his childhood and youth.

The museum was opened for the writer's 175th birthday.

The estate is recreated from photographs, drawings, plans, letters and memories of contemporaries, as the original buildings burned down during World War II. The parents' house and the wing with Hohol's office have been restored, the ponds, the romantic grotto on the shore and the age-old garden have been preserved.

In the recreated interiors of the living room, dining room and bedrooms, there is an exhibition that gives an idea of the Hohol era and tells about the writer's life and work. In particular, the first editions of Hohol's books, original portraits, some interior items, personal belongings of the writer and members of his family are presented.

In the park opposite the museum is the grave of Hohol's parents.

In the warm season, starting from the month of May, night theatrical performances are held.

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 Zemska school building in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau was built in Pisky-Udaiski in the 1910s according to the project of the architect Opanas Slastion (Slaston).

The Ukrainian painter, ethnographer and architect Slastion developed a number of original school projects for the Lokhvytskyi zemstvo, to which the village of Pisky-Udaiski belonged at the time. These projects are characterized by pointed towers and trapezoidal window openings.

After a new, wider building was built for the village school (now the village library), the Zemska school building is not used.

The Khrystanivka Zemska School is located on picturesque cliffs above the Sula River. This is one of the fifty schools of the Lokhvytsia zemstvo that have survived in the Poltava region, built at the beginning of the 20th century according to the project of the artist and ethnographer Opanas Slastion (Slaston), who designed buildings in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau, which "correspond to the national taste and acquired features of national originality". Among the characteristic features are large hexagonal doors and windows, which were popularly called "Shevchenko windows".

In 1995, the school was closed. Currently, one wing houses a paramedic-midwifery station.

Chornukhy Zemska School is one of more than 50 schools built by Lokhvytsia zemstvo in Poltava region at the beginning of the 20th century.

The building in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau was erected in 1913 according to the project of the architect Opanas Slastion (Slaston), who was also known as an artist, ethnographer and art critic. In his projects, the architect used characteristic techniques of traditional Ukrainian architecture - trapezoidal windows, broken multi-pitched tent roofs with ledges, stylized towers.

The Zemska school in Chornukhy was a three-classroom, with a library and a teacher's apartment. The building is wooden, covered with brick and decorated with ornamental masonry.

Until 1978, the school building was used for its intended purpose. Now it houses the House of Children's and Youth Creativity and the Young Naturalist's Club.

The original building of the two-class Zemska school in Mokiivka was built in 1912 in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau, according to the project of the architect Opanas Slastion (Slaston), who at one time was also known as an artist and ethnographer.

His architectural projects were distinguished by the use of elements of traditional folk architecture. In particular, on behalf of the Lohvytsia zemstvo, he developed projects for more than 50 rural schools, the characteristic features of which were hexagonal trapezoidal window openings, multi-sloped tent roofs with cracks and colorful towers.

The Mokiivka Zemska School has been well preserved and is still used for its intended purpose - the building houses primary classes and the preschool department of the Mokiivka Gymnasium. There is also a school library and a public museum - one room with local history exhibits.

Zemska school in Kharsiky was built in 1913 according to the project of architect, artist and ethnographer Opanas Slastion (Slaston), whose works were distinguished by the use of traditional forms of Ukrainian architecture.

Slastion designed a number of schools in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau at the request of Lohvytsia Zemstvo. The building of the Kharsiky school is one-story, U-shaped, with hexagonal trapezoidal windows and two two-story towers with spires. The facades are decorated with decorative brickwork.

In addition to the school, the complex included a wooden barn, an oak cellar, a well and a fence. The building was used for its intended purpose until 1984, when the school was moved to a new building, and a medical and labor institution was placed in the old premises.

Currently, the facility is in an abandoned state.

The Kizlivka Zemska School is one of the fifty surviving schools of the Lohvytsia Zemstvo, built at the beginning of the 20th century according to the designs of the architect, artist and ethnographer Opanas Slastion (Slaston) in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau. All of them are distinguished by the use of reinterpreted techniques of traditional Ukrainian architecture.

The school in Kizlivka is two-class, one-story, with a characteristic two-story tower with a spire. The Slastion style is also well read by trapezoidal windows, tented roofs and brick decoration. The building is still used for its intended purpose - it is an auxiliary building of the Kizlivka Lyceum.

The two-class Zemska school in Hiltsi was built in 1911 according to the project of the famous architect Opanas Slastion (Slaston), who used elements of traditional Ukrainian architecture in his works.

The one-story brick building with ornamental masonry has tall hexagonal windows and a magnificent tented tower in the style of Ukrainian Art Nouveau.

The guardian of the school was the head of the public education department of the district zemstvo administration, Prince Kochubey, whose farm was located nearby. Volodymyr Hres (Otaman Gonta), who in 1920 became one of the leaders of the rebel movement in Poltava Region, was the first teacher of the Gilets Zemska Primary School.

The building is still in good condition and is used for its intended purpose.

The former Zemska school building is located at the entrance to the village of Ryhy from the Krynytsia side.

It was one of the fifty schools of Lokhvytsia zemstvo, built in the first half of the 20th century according to the project of the famous architect and ethnographer Opanas Slastion (Slaston) in the style of Ukrainian modernism with the use of folk-style romantic decorative elements. A characteristic feature is the trapezoidal window and door openings, as well as the tented roof with folds.

The decorative tower above the vestibule was dismantled during the Soviet era, when the building housed the Ryhy Village Cultural Center.