Holy Cross Exaltation Monastery, Poltava

The Women's Monastery of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Хрестовоздвиженський жіночий монастир) is a convent of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) located in Poltava, Ukraine.

History
The Holy Cross Exaltation Monastery was founded in 1650 by monks from Mhar Monastery. The construction of the initial, wooden complex was financed by Cossack commander Martyn Pushkar, and Hetman Ivan Samoylovych later funded the construction of the Holy Cross Exaltation Cathedral within the monastery. In 1693, during the Ruin the monastery was burned down by soldiers of the Crimean Khanate, and it later served as a base for Swedish forces during the Battle of Poltava amidst the Great Northern War.

Taras Shevchenko painted the monastery in 1845.

Several foreign leaders have visited the monastery. King Charles XII of Sweden visited the monastery during the Great Northern War, as did Peter the Great. The former monarch even lived in the monastery for a short period of time, and later Romanov emperors also regularly attended services. Later, during World War II, Adolf Hitler also visited the monastery on 3 December 1941. The monastery was later destroyed during the war, and only restored in 1999.

The monastery is designed in a Ukrainian Baroque style. It is included on the State Register of Immovable Landmarks of Ukraine, and draws hundreds of visitors yearly.