| Poltava is the center of the region of the same name. Whereabouts: in latitude 49° 00` 36`` North, in longitude 34° 00` 33`` East. Area: 103,5 km2. The city is situated in the Eastern part of Poltava region on both banks of the Vorskla river. It is one of the biggest industrial and cultural centers of the left-bank of Prydniprovye region. Poltava lies in the bounds of the Great East-European Plain, on the flat Poltava Plateau and its rapid river slope. The West Part of the town, the larger one, is situated on the comparatively high (150–159 m / 492–522 ft above sea level) Plateau, divided near the Vorskla Valley by relatively deep gullies into a series of flat topped projections (Monastyrsky, Instytutsky, Kobyshchansky, Ivanova Gora). The East Part of the city, the smaller one (Podil, Levada, Dublyanshchyna), is situated on the floodplain and partially on the first terrace of the Vorskla river. Here absolute height ranging from 78m to 100 m (from 256 to 328 ft) above sea level predominates. The geographical position of Poltava in the bounds of North Temperate Zone defines the features of its continental climate. Average summer temperature is 20,5 °C (68,9°F), average winter temperature is – 7,0°C (19,4°F). Annual precipitation is 525 mm (20,7 inches). The length of the non-frost period is 174 days. For the western suburbs of the city Chernozemic (Black Earth) and gray forest soils are typical, for the eastern one – turf and podzolic soils. Green plantations occupy more than 1/5 part of the city's area. Poltava is a city, where human population density is 3000 per km2. Approximately 87 per cent of the citizens are Ukrainians. Industrial branch of Poltava unites 11 main types of activity: energetic material extraction, food industry and agricultural products processing, light industry, wood industry, pulp and paper, poligraphic industry, publishing trade, chemical and oil industry, non-metal mineral production (building materials, grass), metallurgy, engine building, energy, gas and water production and allotment, et cetera. For educational purposes, there are 54 secondary and 54 pre-school state and private educational establishments in Poltava. Here one can find 3 secondary schools and 9 pre-school educational establishments for handicapped children, 13 institutions for the gifted youth. 37 cultural organizations are functioning in the city, among them – 5 museums, 5 schools of aesthetic education, 3 clubs, 16 libraries, 3 cinemas, Palace Entertainment Lystopad, City House of Culture, City Park Peremoga, City Brass Band Poltava. The main goal of the above mentioned establishments is to promote and encourage folk traditions, spiritual culture, national values, and to ensure aesthetic education of the following generation. Among the personalities who define the cultural profile of Poltava one must mention, first of all, such writers as Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Panas Myrny, Volodymyr Korolenko, artists Mykola Jaroshenko, father and son the Myasoyedovs, scientists: mathematician Mykola Ostrogradsky, doctor Mykola Sklifosovsky, Yurii Kondratyuk (O. Shargei) and many others who glorified Poltava with their creative work in different fields of human endeavour. Hotel Poltava http://www.tourism.poltava.ua/eng/
The Glory Monument is a primary sight of central Poltava where eight streets converge radially. It was unveiled on the exact site where a meeting between the Russian Army headed by Tsar Peter I and Poltava fortress’ garrison headed by Colonel Kelin took place soon after the Battle of Poltava. 
The White Arbor The White Arbor was opened for celebration a bicentenial of the battle of Poltava on June 27th 1909. This monument was erected on the spot of Podolsky watchtower and bastion of the former fortress of Poltava. The fortress was not protected by stonewalls but only by earthworks, palisades and the steep slopes of the hill where it was built. 
Among the great number of a holiday events there was an opening ceremony of the Museum on the battlefield in Tsar’s Nikolai II’s presence. Initially it was planned to place the Museum in the annex of St. Sampsony church situated near the Common grave of Russian warriors but afterwards a separate small single-storey building for the Museum was built not far from the church. 
After successful completion of negotiations Tsar Peter I arrived to his headquarters deployed in the hamlet Krytoi Bereg on the left bank of Vorskla river. 
October street is the central street of the city. It takes beginning at the Soborny maydan. The street appeared in the second half of the 18 century. At that time the general layouts of building were developed for many towns of provinces by the decree of Katherine II. And although the original plan was not put in life, a few new streets were created, including, connecting the Soborny maydan and the central area of Poltava – Round Square. 
In April-June 1709 its garrison led by Col. Kelin succeeded in holding the fortress when the Swedish army of Charles XII laid siege to it. In 1710 he was promoted to major-general for battle merits. 
The monument to Swedish warriors erected by their compatriot a monument in commemoration of fallen Swedish warriors on the battlefield for the first time was raised in Sweden in 1890 by then major Claus Grill. Being in exchange service in Russian Army he had often been to Poltava and the battlefield. 
The house of the Ukrainian writer Ivan Kotlyarevsky was bought in 1751 by deacon of the Cathedral of Assumption (grandfather of Kotlyarevsky) Ivan. The writer has lived almost all his life in Poltava. He was buried there in 1838. 
In the middle of the XVIIth century the fortress became the seat of the Poltava Cossack Regiment and played a strategic role in the system of Ukrainian defensive installations that were erected to protect this region from the invasion of Baty-Khan. In 1658, soon after the signing of the Treaty of Pereyaslav, the fortress was partially reconstructed under the supervision of the Muscovite voevode Chirkov. On the eve of the decisive battle of the Great Northern War, the fortress was surrounded by ravines, protected by palisades, and had many bastions and five gates, which were protected by special towers to secure the approach roads to the fortress. But if one compares it with some other European fortresses of that time, its imperfection becomes clear.
|
