SIGHTSEEINGS

Due to its unique historical and architectural monuments Poltava City is considered to be the one of the most beautiful towns in Ukraine. Poltava is also known as the historical treasure of Ukraine.

The White Rotunda
Situated: City centre
The White Rotunda was opened in 1909 – the year of the celebration of 200th anniversary of the Poltava Battle. It was erected at the place where Podolsky watch bastion of the fortress was located during the Poltava battle. The fortress had no stone walls and was protected only by the earth mounds, palisade, and by the steep slopes of the hill where it was located. In 1941 – 1943 when Poltava was occupied by German troops, the rotunda was destroyed, because the observation artillery post was situated at this territory. There was the grand opening of “The Nation’s Friendship Rotunda” in 1954. This monument was built on the basis of the Vaingort architect project. The place where it is situated has a very beautiful view of the Poltava suburbs and the Khrestovozdvizhensky monastery. This sight place is one of the most favourite places among the tourists and guests of the city. Near the Rotunda there is a memorial stone engraved with words from the Ipatievsky chronicle, – the document where Poltava city was mentioned for the first time in 1174.

The Poltava Battle Museum
Tel: +380 (5322) 7-30-91
Address: Shvedskaya mogyla St., 32

The Poltava Battle Field occupies 720 hectares. It is the field where the military operations between Russian and Swedish armies were held in 1709. This place was changed greatly for the last 300 years. Only monuments and surviving redoubts on its territory remind those events. “The Poltava Battle Field” is the state historic and cultural preserve, where the museum of the Poltava Battle history is situated. It was created in 1909 in the small building near the Common Grave of the Russian warriors. The museum was robbed and stopped its functions during the Civil War. It was restored in 1950. The employees of the Hermitage, Artillery Museum, and Moscow Historic Museum, museums of Kiev, Kharkov and Lvov were a great help in its restoration. The museum has the collection that includes more than eight thousands exhibits.

The Monument of Glory
Situated: City centre
The Monument of Glory is the main place of interest of the Poltava central part. It was erected at the place where Peter the Great had a meeting with the garrison of the fortress and the local citizens on June, 27, 1709. The Triumphal arch was built at this place the day before the meeting. The idea of the monument creation belonged to the province architect V. Amvrosimov. Some changes in the project were done by the famous architect of the French origin – Tomah de Tomon (1759 – 1813). The sum of 135000 rubles was gathered for the monument erection; the tsar Alexandr I gave the money for the molding of the Eagle and bronze adornments. The square pedestal of the monument was created in the form of the fortress and the cast-iron fence was made in the form of swords, which edges were fixed in the ground. The cast-iron column was made at the Lugansk cast-iron plant, and the bronze details of the pedestal were made in Saint-Petersburg. 18 cannons were set into the base of the monument; these cannons were used in the fortress bastions of Poltava and Perevolochnaya. The light grey granite for the monument was extracted at the quarry near Kremenchug. The monument is decorated by the gilded eagle that keeps the arrows of the war pointed to The Poltava Battle Field in its claws and the laurel wreath in its beak. The monument was opened on June, 27, 1811; however it was planned to be opened to the 100 anniversary of the Battle in 1809. The foundation of the park around the monument was laid in 1852; this park is a sample of landscape art. The ring road appeared later on and the park itself was surrounded by the beautiful cast-iron fence. The complex of the administrative buildings was built around the square at the beginning of the XIX century. It was created by the project of the famous Russian architect A. Zakharov in a pure Classic style.

The Local Lore Museum
Situated: City centre
Working hours: 8:30 a.m.- 05:00 p.m., Wednesday is a day off
Tel: +380 (5322) 7-42-34
Address: Constitution Sq., 2
The building of the province local government was built in 1903 – 1908 by the V. Krichevsky project, using the projects of E. Shirshov and M. Nikolaev. This building became the sample of Ukrainian style of architecture. This building is decorated by the city emblems of the province that gives it some solemnity. Two high towers with the small loopholes remind us Poltava fortress of XII – XIII centuries. The Local Lore Museum was established in this building on the initiative of the soil scientist, Professor V. Dokuchaev.

The museum was robbed and burnt during the German invasion in 1943. The private offices of Gogol, Kotlyarevsky, Myrny, Teslenko, documents and relics of the Poltava Battle were destroyed. Only 37000 exhibits out of 118000 left after the war. The contemporary exhibition consists of the departments of religion and folklore. Our museum is one of the oldest and biggest museums of Ukraine.

The Temple of Vera, Nadezhda, Lubov
Situated: Central zone
The new temple was built on the initiative of the city governments and women’s religious community in 2002 in Poltava. It is dedicated to the great martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lubov, and their mother Sophia. The author of the project is the honored artist of Ukraine, architect Anatoliy Chernoshchekov. The new built temple was blessed by the Phillip – the bishop of Poltava and Kremenchug. The mundane lodging of Jesus Christ is separated by the carved iconostasis on the full height of the church in the middle of the temple. This iconostasis was made by the craftsmen of the Lvov Company “Siyaniye”. Some icons were given by the Pochayiv Lavra. The painting of the Bible subjects on the temple walls was done by the artists Peter Gerenuk, Viktor Trokhimets-Milyutin, Vasiliy Korkishko. The five-spire classical temple is decorated by the central cross which height is more than 5 meters. The ornamental spires-bells contain seven bells. All of them were made at the Poltava diesel locomotive repair plant. The most powerful among them is named “Poltava” and its weight is 271 kg.

Khrestovozdvizhensky monastery
Situated: Central zone
Working hours: 9:00 a.m. - 09:00 p.m.
Address: Sverdlov St., 2-А
The monastery was founded in 1650. It is situated on the hill that has been called Monastery Hill since that time. The monastery was built to honour the victory of Ukrainian Cossacks over the Polish gentry. In 1695 the monastery was robbed by the Tatars. In 1709 there was the headquarters of the Swedish king Charles XII there. The empress Catherine II visited the monastery in 1787. The monastery was closed twice during the Soviet times (in 1923 and 1960). The nunnery began to work in the survive buildings of the monastery in 1942. And Poltava Khrestovozdvizhensky nunnery was opened in 1991.

Ivan Kotlyarevsky Sadyba (Estate)
Situated: Central zone
Working hours: 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m., Monday is a day off
Tel: +380 (5322) 7-20-73
Address: Sobornaya Sq., 3
The estate of the famous Ukrainian writer Ivan Kotlyarevsky is situated near the Uspensky Cathedral. Kotlyarevsky’s grandfather being a deacon of the Uspensky Cathedral bought the estate in 1751. The famous writer lived in Poltava almost all his life. He was buried here in 1838. There is Kotlyarevsky bust monument in the yard near the house, this monument was made and presented by the sculptor G. Kalchenko. The project of the reconstruction was done by the architect V. Tertychny. Ivan Kotlyarevsky and his works are the national pride of Ukrainian people. The glory brightens this place. Not only citizens of Poltava come to honour the glory of our compatriot’s genius.

It is our pleasure to have you as our guest and we hope you are enjoying your visit to our Palazzo Hotel in Poltava, Ukraine.