He was born in Poltava, lived most of his life and created a classic of new Ukrainian literature, I.P. Kotlyarevsky (1769-1838).
At the end of the 19th century, progressive Ukrainians raised the issue of celebrating the centenary of the publication of Kotlyarevsky’s Aeneid and the erection of a monument to the writer on this occasion. Only ten years later, the tsarist government allowed to raise funds for the monument, but only in Poltava province. Funds for the monument to IP Kotlyarevsky came from ordinary people and from figures from other cities of Ukraine and Russia. 12 thousand rubles were collected. For eight years, local authorities have been deciding on the place. The monument was unveiled on August 30, 1903. On this day, envoys from all over Ukraine, well-known cultural figures Lesya Ukrainka, M. Kotsyubynsky, M. Starytsky, P. Myrnyi, V. Stefanyk, V. Samylenko, and Olena Pchilka gathered in Poltava. The honorary guest of the holiday was 111-year-old Varvara Lelechykha. In her younger years, she worked as a maid for I. Kotlyarevsky and then throughout her long life carried fond memories of him.
Despite the government's ban on delivering speeches in Ukrainian, Olena Pchilka rebuked herself for speaking in Ukrainian. More than 30 wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument. The opening was a celebration of Ukrainian culture.
The pedestal is decorated with three high-reliefs, reproducing three episodes from the works of Kotlyarevsky - one from "Aeneid", "Natalka Poltavka" and "Moskal-magician".