| Poltava is a city in central Ukraine. It is | | | | Tuscan column of cast iron (1805-11), |
| the administrative center of the Poltava | | | | commemorating the centenary of the Battle of |
| Oblast (province), as well as the | | | | Poltava and featuring 18 Swedish cannons |
| administrative center of the surrounding | | | | captured in that battle.A museum displays the |
| Poltavskyi Raion (district) within the | | | | rather large uniform of Czar Peter, who was |
| oblast. The city itself is also designated as | | | | unusually tall. In town, visit the October |
| its own separate raion within the oblast. The | | | | Park, the gun-barrel-shaped Column of Glory |
| current estimated population is 313,400 (as | | | | and 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 tourist | | | | As 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 from | | | | The five-domed city cathedral, dedicated to |
| the 8th to the 9th century, although the | | | | the 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 or | | | | 1699 and 1709. As a whole, the cathedral |
| Ltava. Destroyed by the Tatars in the early | | | | presents a unity which even the Neoclassical |
| 13th century, it was the centre of a Cossack | | | | bell 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 site | | | | rebuilt in the 1990s. |
| of a 1709 battle between a coalition of | | | | |
| Cossacks, led by Mazepa, and the Swedes | | | | The climate of Poltava is temperately |
| (Charles XII) against the Russian army of | | | | continental, the average temperatures of |
| Czar Peter I. The subsequent Russian victory | | | | January and July, the coldest and the warmest |
| in battle established Russia's prominent | | | | months of the year are accordingly: 19,2° |
| position in Europe and consequently Ukraine's | | | | F (-7,1°C) and 66,7° F (+18,7°?). |
| decline. The battle ended Sweden's status as | | | | |
| a major power and marked the beginning of | | | | You travel easiest to Poltava by arriving at |
| Russian supremacy in Eastern Europe. The | | | | the 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 the | | | | price of taxi ride and agree on it before |
| Great and the general Prince Aleksandr | | | | embarking on the trip itself. The trip will |
| Danilovich Menshikov and 17,000 Swedes under | | | | take 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 the | | | | way to Poltava serve good and cheap food if |
| major draw. The centre of the old city is a | | | | you do not want to bring your lunch with you. |
| semicircular Neoclassical square with the | | | | |