Poltava

Conceived as a romantic tale of Hetman Mazepa’s love for Maria Kochubey, Pushkin’s poem, written in just a few days, grew into a large-scale work about the Battle of Poltava in 1709.

Thus arose one of the most famous historical and heroic poems of Russian literature, where the personal tragedy of the heroes unfolds against the backdrop of a fateful confrontation between Russia and Sweden.

In 1828, A.S. Pushkin began work on the poem, centered on the story of Mazepa’s and Maria Kochubey’s feelings. However, very soon the concept changed: the romantic storyline gave way to the main event of the plot—the Battle of Poltava in 1709. This is how one of the best-known works of the historical and heroic genre was born. The poem is included in the school curriculum for Grade 7.

For general secondary education.