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Poltava - the 1709 Battlefield Between Cossacks and Swedes - a Place Still in History?

Poltava is a city in central Ukraine. It isTuscan column of cast iron (1805-11),
the administrative center of the Poltavacommemorating the centenary of the Battle of
Oblast (province), as well as thePoltava and featuring 18 Swedish cannons
administrative center of the surroundingcaptured in that battle.A museum displays the
Poltavskyi Raion (district) within therather large uniform of Czar Peter, who was
oblast. The city itself is also designated asunusually tall. In town, visit the October
its own separate raion within the oblast. ThePark, the gun-barrel-shaped Column of Glory
current estimated population is 313,400 (asand the Spassky Church, which is actually an
of  2004).outer shell protecting an earlier, wooden
church  inside.
The city is located between Kharkiv and Kyiv
in Ukraine, Poltava is not much of a touristAs Peter the Great celebrated his victory in
destination.the Saviour church, this 17th-century wooden
shrine was carefully preserved to this day.
Archaeological evidence dates the city fromThe five-domed city cathedral, dedicated to
the 8th to the 9th century, although thethe Exaltation of the Cross, is a superb
first documentary reference is from 1174,monument of Cossack Baroque, built between
when it was variously known as Oltava or1699 and 1709. As a whole, the cathedral
Ltava. Destroyed by the Tatars in the earlypresents a unity which even the Neoclassical
13th century, it was the centre of a Cossackbell tower has failed to mar. Another frothy
regiment  by  the  17th  century.Baroque church, dedicated to the Dormition of
the Theotokos, was destroyed in 1934 and
The city is probably best known as the siterebuilt  in  the  1990s.
of a 1709 battle between a coalition of
Cossacks, led by Mazepa, and the SwedesThe climate of Poltava is temperately
(Charles XII) against the Russian army ofcontinental, the average temperatures of
Czar Peter I. The subsequent Russian victoryJanuary and July, the coldest and the warmest
in battle established Russia's prominentmonths of the year are accordingly: 19,2°
position in Europe and consequently Ukraine'sF  (-7,1°C)  and  66,7° F (+18,7°?).
decline. The battle ended Sweden's status as
a major power and marked the beginning ofYou travel easiest to Poltava by arriving at
Russian supremacy in Eastern Europe. Thethe Borispol airport in Kiev and take a bus,
battle was fought north and west of Poltava,taxi to Poltava. The taxi ride will cost you
west of the Vorskla River, in the Ukraine,around 100-150 USD. Be sure to discuss the
between 80,000 Russian troops under Peter theprice of taxi ride and agree on it before
Great and the general Prince Aleksandrembarking on the trip itself. The trip will
Danilovich Menshikov and 17,000 Swedes undertake around 5 hours from Kiev, so be sure to
Charles  XII.make room for pitstops or to have some food
with you on the ride. Several cafes on the
The battlefield and its monuments are theway to Poltava serve good and cheap food if
major draw. The centre of the old city is ayou do not want to bring your lunch with you.
semicircular Neoclassical square with the



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