This 1958 Soviet color art postcard features one of the main symbols of Poltava, Ukraine — the White Arbour (officially known as the Rotunda of Friendship of Peoples), located on Sobornyi Square on Ivanova Gora.
What is shown on the postcard
The foreground shows a semicircular colonnade of eight Doric columns topped with an entablature. Inside and around the arbour, people in summer clothes of the Soviet era can be seen. In front of the structure is a well-kept round flowerbed with bright flowers and decorative grass. In the background, a panoramic view opens up over the lower part of the city, the Vorskla River valley, and suburban areas under a cloudy summer sky.
Historical note
The original wooden arbour was built in 1909 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava on the site of the former Podilskyi bastion of the Poltava Fortress. According to legend, Tsar Peter I rested at this spot. During the German occupation in World War II, the arbour was destroyed. In 1954, a new reinforced concrete rotunda designed by architect Lev Vaingort was erected on the same site, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine and Russia, which gave it its official name, the Rotunda of Friendship of Peoples.
Present day
Today, the White Arbour remains one of the most popular landmarks and the main observation deck in Poltava. In the 2000s, the structure was restored and equipped with an LED lighting system synchronized with sound, turning the rotunda into a light-and-music performance site during evening hours.
Location (map)
Address: Sobornyi Square, Poltava, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine
Coordinates: 49.589722, 34.568333
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the Rotunda of Friendship of Peoples (White Arbour) on Ivanova Gora in Poltava.
Questions and answers
- Where is the White Arbour located? The arbour is located on Sobornyi Square on Ivanova Gora in the historic part of Poltava.
- When was the concrete rotunda shown on the postcard constructed? The modern reinforced concrete rotunda was built in 1954 according to the project of architect Lev Vaingort.
- What was situated on this site before the first arbour was built? Before the first arbour was erected in 1909, the Podilskyi bastion of the Poltava Fortress was located on this site.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Poltava from 1958.
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