Poltava is well known in Ukraine, and after the games of the Vorskla football club in European Cups 2011 it became known outside the country as well. On June 27, 1709 the decisive victory of Peter I of Russia over the Swedish forces took place near Poltava. It's widely believed that the battle initiated the beginning of Sweden's decline as Great Power and the Russians took their place as the leading nation in Northern Europe. There's a museum of this battle in Poltava, but it was not interesting to us.
You'll like the city if you prefer a quiet, relaxing holiday and walking along the nice streets. Several places in Poltava are a must-see. First, the building of local lore museum built by architect Vasyl Krychevsky, remotely resembling unusual works of the Austrian architect Hundertwasser.
Museum of local lore ©Yuriy Buriak
Museum of local lore ©Yuriy Buriak
We also liked the local monastery. There's a nice view on it from the Ivanova Hill. We decided to go to the monastery and went through the real village that begins just 200 meters from the main street of the city.
Rotunda of Friendship of Peoples - a symbol of the city ©Yuriy Buriak
View from Ivanova hill ©Yuriy Buriak
Holy Cross Monastery ©Yuriy Buriak
Monument to dumplings ©Yuriy Buriak
Krugla Ploscha (Circus) ©Yuriy Buriak
There is also a curious building of the Security Service of Ukraine which you can find on the way from the railway station to the downtown.
Building of Security Service of Ukraine ©Yuriy Buriak
Getting there: By Kharkiv express train (Intercity) from Kyiv (3 hours). Also in Kyiv you can book seats in comfortable buses of the Autolux carrier. The buses leave from the central bus station (Demiyivska metro station).
