Ivan Kotliarevskyi and Poltava are inextricably linked concepts, because it was in this city that one of the most outstanding Ukrainian writers, the founder of new Ukrainian literature, was born, lived and worked.
In Poltava, there are many objects related to Ivan Kotliarevskyi , who at one time took an active part in the life of the city, contributing to its development as a cultural center of Ukraine. beginning of XVIII XIX century
Holy Dormition Cathedral. On the site of the modern cathedral stood the Church of the Assumption, in which the grandfather of the future poet, Ioan Kotliarevskyi, served as a deacon. It was he who in 1751 bought a manor in a very prestigious place for Old Poltava - near the cathedral church. At one time, this very temple became a kind of proto-museum institution in the city. It housed one of the largest libraries, in the formation of which deacon Ioan Kotliarevskyi was involved. The most ancient shrine of the Ukrainian people - the Peresopnytsia Gospel - was preserved among the ancient folios. In the former main cathedral, you could see the Zhuki icon of the Mother of God, and on both sides of the iconostasis there were flags of the Cossack regiments, which were formed by Ivan Kotliarevskyi from the villagers of the village of Horoshino, Khorolsky district, for the war against Napoleon in 1812. In the walls of this church in 1838, the people of Poltava saw off their glorious compatriot Ivan Petrovych on his last journey.
Museum - manor house of I.P. Kotliarevskyi. In this unique and cozy corner of Poltava, in his grandfather's house, on September 9, 1769, the only son Ivan was born to the family of the senior chancellor of the Poltava City Magistrate Petro Kotliarevskyi and his wife, the Reshetiv Cossack Paraskovia Zhukovska. It was from here that the future poet went to study at the seminary, went to serve in the army, and returned after retirement. His muse and numerous friends visited him here, and from here he set out on his last journey. After his death, according to his will, the house became the property of the writer's housekeeper, the widow of non-commissioned officer Motrona Veklevycheva. Then the manor passed from one owner to another for a long time, gradually declining and losing its authentic appearance until the middle of the 20th century. In 1845, Taras Shevchenko visited Poltava with the task of making sketches of historical places and monuments for the Archaeological Commission of Kyiv University. At that time, Shevchenko made two watercolor sketches "Vozdvyzhenskyi Monastery in Poltava" and "House of I. Kotliarevskyi". The latter is a priceless historical artifact that recorded the appearance of the Kotliarevskyi manor as it was during his lifetime. Thanks to these two illustrations, a lithograph by the artist G. Mellin from 1856, detailed descriptions of the interior in the memories of Kotliarevskyi's contemporaries, as well as a plan of the estate from 1837 found in the Poltava Regional Archive, made it possible to recreate the writer's house as accurately as possible in 1969 when his museum was created . As part of the celebration at the state level of the 200th anniversary of the birth of I. P. Kotliarevskyi. Reproducing the authentic look of the manor was extremely important, because the poet's residence is the most characteristic example of folk construction of the 18th century in Poltava. Opposite the house, in 1971, a bust of the writer of the work of the People's Artist of Ukraine, sculptor Halyna Kalchenko, was installed. In 1982, the manor museum received the official status of a monument of cultural heritage registered and protected by the state in 1982 by decision No. 247 of the Poltava Council of People's Deputies. objects of cultural heritage to the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine" estate of the writer I.P. Kotliarevskyi is registered as a historical monument of national importance, security number 160002-Н.
Almost immediately after returning from military service in June 1810, Ivan Kotliarevskyi was appointed supervisor of the House for the Education of Children of Poor Nobles. He remained in this position for 25 years. The institution was located in the outbuildings of the former premises of the Malorosiiskyi Post Office on the Round Square. Until 1861, the building housed the First Men's Gymnasium.
In addition to serving in an educational boarding house, Ivan Petrovych was a trustee of charitable institutions in the Poltava province during 1827-1835. This position was considered exceptionally honorable and required approval from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Kotliarevskyi exercised administrative control over all departments of this institution: the main hospital, a home for the mentally ill, a maternity hospital, a health department, an almshouse, and an office.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the cultural and artistic life of Poltava revived due to the activities of amateur and visiting theater troupes. On the initiative of Governor-General Mykola Repnin, in 1818, Ivan Shtein's theater troupe was invited to Poltava, which included the later famous artist Mykhailo Shchepkin. At that time, the first professional local theater appeared in the city, for which a beautiful two-story stone building was built. The chief director was Ivan Kotliarevskyi, who in 1819 wrote the opera "Natalka Poltavka" and the vaudeville "Moskal the Magician" for the Poltava theater. Some roles were written by Kotliarevskyi for Mykhailo Shchepkin, the latter was bought out of serfdom during his work in Poltava. In 1900, Poltava received a new theater building - the Educational Building named after M. Gogol, in which in 1903, on the occasion of the opening of the monument to I. Kotliarevskyi, celebrations were held in which leading Ukrainian cultural figures took part.
An ancient manor's one-story house of the beginning of the 19th century, which, according to legend, belonged to the famous poet, playwright, social activist Vasyl Kapnist (1758-1823). The ancient building, in the style of classicism, is almost the only historical building in Poltava that was not destroyed during the II World War. In September 1952, the Poltava Literary Memorial Museum of I. Kotliarevskyi was opened in the building. This day became an important cultural event in the life of post-war Poltava and Ukraine in general. Greeting cards were sent by poets Pavlo Tychyna and Mykola Bazhan, artists Ivan Yizhakevich and Fedir Konovaliuk, directors of Ukrainian museums and many other cultural and public figures.
In 1835, Kotliarevskyi resigned. He continued to be interested in cultural life, provided support to those who turned to him. Literature remained his only real passion. At the age of 69, on November 10, 1838, Ivan Kotliarevskyi died quietly at his home after a four-week illness. According to the writer's will, he was buried on the outskirts of the city cemetery under a sprawling poplar tree near Kobeliatska Road (now Yevropeiska St.). The cemetery was liquidated in 1937. Ivan Kotlyarevskyi's grave has been preserved to this day.
In 1903, a monument to Ivan Kotliarevskyi was opened in Poltava in honor of the father of new Ukrainian literature. This event became a national holiday of Ukrainian culture. The celebrations lasted for three days and "the entire flower of the Ukrainian intelligentsia" gathered for them. The author of the monument-bust was the itinerant sculptor Leonid Pozen from Poltava, the architect was Olexandr Shershov.
In 1908, the former Protopopivskyi boulevard was renamed Kotliarevskoho Street in honor of the illustrious compatriot. The territory of the boulevard has been a botanical monument of nature since 1970.
Since 1928, the general seven-year school has been named after I.P. Kotliarevskyi (now Poltava City Multidisciplinary Lyceum No. 1 named after I.P. Kotliarevskyi.
In 1949, according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR No. 1603 of June 22, 1949, the Poltava Regional Library was named after I. P. Kotliarevskyi and a new name was established: "Poltava Regional Library named after I. P. Kotliarevskyi", which has been housed since 1993 in the new premises - a five-story building of modern architecture on Nebesna Sotnia Street.
As part of the implementation of the law on decommunization, by the decision of the executive committee of the Poltava City Council dated March 21, 2024, one of the city's streets was renamed "Eneida" Street.
Ivan Kotliarevskyi made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian literature, theater and culture in general. His connection with Poltava has deep historical and cultural significance, and the city continues to cherish his memory as its most famous son. Poltava is proud of its role in Kotliarevskyi's life, and this connection remains an important part of the city's cultural identity.
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