On 25–27 September 2026, Poltava hosted the eighth European Heritage Days — a cultural and educational project that brings communities together to study, preserve and promote cultural heritage.
This year’s events took place as part of the nationwide initiative "Heritage at Risk: Stories Worth Preserving". Its main focus is to draw attention to cultural heritage sites that are under threat due to war, destruction, neglect or the loss of their historical context, and to remind people of their responsibility to preserve them for future generations.
Over the course of three days, residents of Poltava and visitors to the city had the opportunity to see familiar places in a new light, learn more about the history of Poltava and its notable residents, and take part in themed tours and museum events. The initiative was supported by the Poltava Literary and Memorial Museums of Panas Myrnyi, Ivan Kotliarevskyi and Volodymyr Korolenko, the State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Field of the Battle of Poltava", and the Poltava Art Museum (Art Gallery) named after Mykola Yaroshenko.
One of the key themes of this year’s European Heritage Days was the reinterpretation and preservation of cultural sites that currently require special attention. As part of the "One Site – One Story" campaign, the Mykola Yaroshenko Poltava Art Museum (Art Gallery) drew attention to the house of the artist Vasyl Volkov — a cultural heritage site linked to the history of the city’s artistic life. During a walking tour, participants followed a route from the museum to the site of the artist’s former estate, and the event concluded with an open-air painting session involving young artists in the botanical garden of the V. G. Korolenko Poltava National Pedagogical University.
Museum events also provided an opportunity to explore heritage through personal stories. At the Panas Myrnyi Literary and Memorial Museum in Poltava, participants in the themed tour "Panas Myrnyi’s Estate: Heritage Through Time" learnt about the life of the writer and his family, as well as the history of the memorial estate and the museum itself. Visitors to the I. Kotliarevskyi Literary and Memorial Museum, during the guided educational tour "The Poet’s House", discussed Poltava’s architectural heritage, Vasyl Kapnist’s house, and the lives and friendship of the two poets — Vasyl Kapnist and Ivan Kotliarevskyi.
An important chapter in the city’s history was unveiled during the walking tour "Poltava Fortress – Mazurivka: Lost and Preserved Heritage", organised by the State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Field of the Battle of Poltava". Participants walked through the grounds of the former Poltava Fortress, learnt about its history and the structures that have been preserved or lost. Particular attention was paid to the contemporary interpretation of historical monuments and the need for their preservation within the Ukrainian historical and cultural context.
Cultural heritage in times of war was also discussed during the lecture "Art Under Fire: How Europe and Ukraine Are Saving Their Cultural Heritage", organised by the Volodymyr Korolenko Poltava Literary and Memorial Museum.
Thus, this year’s European Heritage Days in Poltava were not merely an opportunity to learn more about the city’s history. They prompted us to reflect on what exactly we need to preserve, how we can talk about our heritage today, and what form it should take for future generations.
Cultural heritage is not just buildings, monuments or museum artefacts. It is the stories, memories, traditions, names of people and places that shape a city’s unique character. And it is precisely public attention, interest and shared responsibility that help to preserve them, even in difficult times.
We would like to thank all the organisers, museum staff, academics, tour guides, artists and participants who took part in the European Heritage Days 2026 in Poltava and, together, discovered, explored and reinterpreted our city’s cultural heritage.
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