Alexey Stepanovich Kelin(Kelen) (?-1715), fought at many battles of the Great Northern War of 1700-21 (Noteborg (1702), Nyenskans(1703), Dorpat(1704), Narva(1704)). In 1708 he was given command of Tverskoi infantry regiment. In December, 1708 Tsar Peter I appointed Col. Kelin commandant of the fortress of Poltava. 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 the commandant of the fortress of Poltava Colonel Kelin and its defenders was erected on the spot of one of the bastions of the fortress of Poltava by the project of general of cavalry, Baron Alexander Alexandrovich Bilderling. Baron Bilderling was well known not only for his fundamental works on military history but also for numerous monuments designed by him. He created monuments to the famous geographer and traveler Prszevalsky in St. Petersburg, to admiral Nahimov in Sevastopol and to Swedish warriors killed in the battle of Poltava in Poltava.
   

An official opening ceremony of the monument to commandant Kelin took place on June, 27, 1909 in presence the Emperor Nikolai II. Made of granite, it was originally crowned by a double-headed bronze eagle which was dismantled soon after the revolution of 1917. There is a reclining bronze lion on the pedestal and inscription cut out under it: “To the valorous commandant of Poltava Colonel Kelin and glorious defenders of the city in 1709”. On the reverse side of the monument is an inscription, telling about the events related to the siege of the fortress of Poltava by the Swedish army of Charles XII in April-June 1709. During German occupation of Poltava in 1941-1943 the bronze details of monument were dismantled and taken to Germany. After WWII a monument was reconstructed in its original view except for a bronze eagle.