The history of the museum dates back to the 200-year commemoration of the Battle of Poltava. On the occasion of the anniversary, monuments were erected in Poltava and the Museum of the Battle of Poltava was opened at the Swedish Grave.
At the beginning, it was planned to place the future museum in the western annex of the expanded Sampsoniivska Church, but later this idea was abandoned. At the beginning of September 1907, the foundation of a separate museum building was laid near the church according to the project of engineer S. Nosov. And on June 26, 1909, the Museum of the History of the Battle of Poltava opened its doors to its first visitors.
The founder and first director (1909-1918) of the museum was the well-known Poltava native Ivan Pavlovskyi (1851-1922). For thirty-nine years, he taught history in the Poltava Petrovskyi Cadet Corps, was one of the founders of the Poltava Provincial Academic Archival Commission and a member of the Poltava Church Historical and Archaeological Committee. Poltava historians still use the bibliographic reference books on the history of the Poltava region compiled by I. Pavlovskyi.
The catalog of the Museum of the Battle of Poltava at the Swedish Grave, published in 1910, confirms that the collection included 339 exhibits: portraits of historical figures, engravings, paintings, weapons, and mannequins of soldiers. Also in the museum exposition were portraits of Swedish military leaders, Cossack antiquities and nine images of Hetman Ivan Mazepa (there were none in the exposition during the Soviet era).
In the same year, 1910, the museum premises were expanded thanks to two side additions, in the rooms of which silver wreaths placed at the foot of open monuments during the 200th anniversary celebrations and other gifts of the Imperial House were placed.
During 1917-1918, the Museum suffered several robberies. In order to save the collection from eventual theft, I. Pavlovskyi risked his own life and hid the exhibits at his home. And in 1920, he transferred the remains of the collection to the Central Proletarian Museum of the Poltava region (now the Poltava Museum of Local Lore named after V. Krychevskyi). In the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, it was exhibited in a separate hall called "Battle of Poltava".
During the II World War, in September 1941, part of I. Pavlovskyi's collection was evacuated to Ufa, the rest of the items remained in Poltava and were damaged by a fire during the Nazi occupation. And in July 1944, in the local history museum, Poltava residents could familiarize themselves with the exhibition "Heroic past of our people", which included the section "Battle of Poltava".
The premises of the first pre-revolutionary Museum of the Battle of Poltava have not survived to our time. In 2009, a new building was rebuilt on the site of the old building according to the project of the architect V. Trehubov.
In May-June 1949, by the resolutions of the Councils of Ministers of the USSR and Ukrainian SSR, it was necessary to "renovate the Museum of the Battle of Poltava, as a museum of Republican subordination of the II category." The institution was opened for the second time on September 23, 1950 in the premises of the former hospital for war invalids, located next to the first museum at the Swedish Grave. Surviving objects from the collection of I. Pavlovskyi returned here. The collection was also replenished with unique artefacts from the beginning of the 18th century due to receipts from other museum institutions of the former Soviet Union. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the historical event, an additional hall was added to the premises, which housed the diorama "Battle of Poltava", made by artists of the military studio named after M. Hrekova. In the second half of the 80s of the 20th century, the museum was re-exposed under the leadership of Honored Artist of Ukraine A. Shcherbak. The chronological principle of the presentation of the events of the Great Northern War was preserved and the impact of the Battle of Poltava on the course of European history was highlighted. Ukraine's participation in the military confrontation is emphasized. In 1994, a hall devoted to the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks was opened in the museum. Thanks to cooperation with the Society of Military History of Sweden, the exposition was replenished with objects that reveal the participation of Carolinians in the events of the Great Northern War.
Currently, the museum collection includes about 7,000 exhibits, of which 3,400 are items belonging to the Museum Fund of Ukraine. The exposition includes unique paintings by Denis Marten (junior), Bernardo Belotto Canaletto, Jean Marc Nattier, Mykola Samokysh, original portraits of historical figures by artists of the 18th century, engravings, authentic weapons, archaeological finds, old household items, etc.
In 1981, the State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Poltava Battle Field" was created (Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR dated March 31, 1981 No. 153 "On declaring the complex of historical and cultural monuments of the Poltava Battle Field as a state historical a cultural reserve").
By Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated September 3, 2009 No. 928 "On the entry of objects of cultural heritage of national importance into the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine" Complex of monuments "Field of the Battle of Poltava" - a monument of national importance, protection No. 160009 -N. The total area is 720 hectares.
On the territory of the "Poltava Battle Field" Complex there are a number of monuments: the mass grave of the soldiers of the Moscow Army, the monument to Peter I, the location of the second fortified camp of the Moscow Army, the location of the command post of Peter I, the locations of the redoubts of the Moscow Army (marked by granite obelisks), a monument to the Swedes from the Russians, a rotunda commemorating the memory of those who died in the Battle of Poltava, the house of the museum of the history of the Battle of Poltava, the house of the Museum of the Battle of Poltava at the Swedish Grave, Sampsoniivska Church.
Today, the State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Poltava Battle Field" plays an important role as a cultural and educational center that preserves the historical memory of one of the key battles in European history. The scientific research work of the museum contributes to a deeper understanding of the events of the beginning of the 18th century, the influence of the Battle of Poltava on the course of the Great Northern War and the fate of its participants. The activity of the reserve includes a wide range of activities aimed at different audiences, which makes it an important center of cultural and social life of the Poltava community.
