In the special project “More Than Cities. The Code of Resilience,” the Ukraine Crisis Media Center continues to reveal the depth of Ukrainian cities through their history, culture, and memory. This episode is dedicated to Poltava — a city where Ukrainian modernism, literary heritage, and key historical events that influenced not only Ukraine but all of Europe are deeply intertwined.
Poltava is a city of iconic symbols of Ukrainian identity. It is home to the Poltava Zemstvo Building — one of the most prominent landmarks of Ukrainian architectural modernism, now the Vasyl Krychevskyi Local History Museum. Its architecture and decoration reflect the full depth of Ukrainian applied culture. Equally important to the city are Ivan Kotliarevsky, regarded as the founder of modern Ukrainian literature, and the history of the Battle of Poltava, whose consequences shaped Ukraine’s destiny for centuries.
Poltava preserves the memory of events that formed Ukrainian statehood thinking. It was here at the beginning of the 20th century that the Ukrainian intellectual elite first united around the idea of independence, and Mykola Mikhnovsky proclaimed the program “Independent Ukraine.” At the same time, the city impresses with its architectural diversity — from classical historical buildings to the unique Moorish-style house of Naum Bakhmutskyi.
Today, Poltava is not only a city of history, but also a space of living culture, memory, and inner strength. Its streets, museums, and symbols remind us of the continuity of Ukrainian tradition and the struggle for an independent state. It is precisely in this combination of culture, history, and resilience that the true code of Poltava’s endurance is revealed.
The video was created within the framework of the project “Supporting the Strengthening of Strategic Communication as an Integral Part of Building Resilience in Ukraine” in partnership with PractNet, Estonia, with the support of the European Union.
