From Poltava foundation till nowadays
During ХІ-ХVІІ centuries Poltava lied between Rus and ‘Wild Field’ of nomads, later – between Grand Duchy
Lithuania and Golden Horde, Rech Pospolyta (nowadays Poland) and Moscow Empire. During numerous wars the city was destroyed many times, but always revived. In historic document dated back 1641, Poltava was mentioned as the city center for the 1st time.
National Liberty War against Poland turned Poltava into the military administrative center of Poltava regiment in the composition of Hetman Ukraine more than 350 years ago (1648-1775 ). Poltava Cossack commanders had very tense relations with ordinary people. This factor played the major role in Poltava battle, that had a great impact not only on the national history but also on the world one.
When multiple European interests crossed in the North War between Russia and Sweden in Ukraine and the latter, in the person of I. Mazepa, got a historic chance to obtain an independence, it was the resistance of 
Poltava that undermined the united forces of I. Mazepa and Karl XII. 4-nd city population supported 4-nd Russian garrison under the command of the colonel O. Kelin. During 3 months they were fixing Swedish Army, which lost the best forces on the bastions and walls of the small Cossack fortress.
This factor made Peter I possible to defeat the troops of Karl XII and I. Mazepa. 290 years ago Poltava battle became a turning-point in the European history and for two becoming centuries had determined the further fate of Ukraine.
Up to XIX century Poltava, due to memorable event, had been visited by Katherine II, commanders O. Suvorov, M. Kutuzov, famous travelers. In 1802 eight thousand city became a province center.
Owing to the anniversary of Poltava battle, the best architects started to build up the province center as ‘small Petersburg’.
In the 1st quarter of XIX century an outstanding Poltava citizen I. Kotlyarevskiy gave Ukrainian people their own literary language and new Ukrainian literature. In 1846 Poltava intellectuals V. Bilozerskyi, G. Andruzkyi and others were enrolled to Cyril and Mefodiy Brotherhood, that was founded in Kyiv. Moreover, V. Bilozerskyi became the author of the regulations of the Brotherhood, and G. Andruzkyi prepared ‘Essays on the Constitution of the Republic’.
The main achievement of Poltava in XIX century was the reinforcement of not the productive capacities but spiritual potential: Poltava was the place of living or temporary work of such famous intellectuals as P. Myrnyi, I. Nechuy-Levytskyi, V. Korolenko, V. Dokuchayev, V. Vernadskyi, M. Vavilov, M. Sklifosovskyi, M. Kropyvnytskyi and others.
Czarism’s activities directed on Poltava inhabiting with Jews resulted in the formation of the Jewish community in the center of the province (where resided more then 10 thousand Jews). It was Poltava where the political career of Ben-Tsvi Itskhak, the second president of Israel of 1950s, had started.
In the revolutionary events of 1917-1920s Poltava did not become the political center; her spiritual potential of those days was marked with idea flights, which were justly appreciated only in the 20th century. Y. Kondratyuk described the possibilities of space flights in the interplanetary space in 4 copy-books. The way to children hearts was paved by famous pedagogues A. Makarenko and G. Vashenko. During the fascist occupation of Poltava, that became the headquarters center of the army ‘North’, a considerable part of achievements were ruined. Post-war renewal of Poltava took place in 1950s, later the gasification processes began, television appeared.
In 1963 the first trolley-buses appeared in the streets of Poltava. The signs of new-born spirituality of Poltava became a new building of M. Hohol theatre (1958) and the revival of the building of the museum of local lore (1964). State independence of 1991, Poltava met being economically developed cultural center with population of more than 315 thousand people.
Nowadays city industry is represented with the artificial diamond and glass-cutter plants, gas-discharge tube plants, turbomechanical and autoaggregate plant, chemical engineering plant, ‘Electromotor’ and others) Poltava is proud of the names of the contemporary writers like O. Kovin’ka, L. Brazov, O. Chucha, F. Garin, M. Kazyduba, B. Levin, V. Myrnyi, P. Rotach, V. Kotlyar, L. Vernygora. There are 7 state museums in the city: museum of local lore, museum of arts, state reserve ‘Poltava battle field’, I. Kotlyarevskyi literary-memorial museums, V. Korolenko and P. Myrnyi literary-memorial museums, Y. Kondratyuk museum of aircraft and cosmonautics.
Poltava doll theatre brings joy and happiness not only to Ukrainian children but to children of other countries as well.
The most famous music groups of Poltava are ensemble ‘Poltava’ and group ‘Krayany’
