The city of Poltava is located in the center of Ukraine. Its history is rich and interesting. The city is famous for its architecture which spans many centuries. This architectural face of the city, its many exceptional and distinctive buildings constructed in many different styles, makes Poltava truly unique.
Since the beginning of the 19th century, books and other publications have recorded the architecture of Poltava. One of the first attempts to acquaint the people of what was then the Russian Empire with the city was made in the beginning of the 19th century when Staedler, a well-known engraver, created a set of engravings from drawings made by the artist Kunavin. These engravings showed several views of the newly appointed capital of Poltava province.
The next purveyor of information about the history of Poltava and its architecture was the local historian Arandarenko who prepared and published in 1848-1852 his famous «Notes About Poltava Province.» This book contained drawings of some of the towns and villages of Poltava province, including some drawings of Poltava made by the Cossack Chapiga.
The tradition was continued by the local historian Bodyansky. In 1865 he published a book about Poltava which included several engravings of Poltava monuments and famous buildings, among them the Spasska and St. Sampsoniy Churches.
