Poltava

Summary

The poem "Poltava" by Alexander Pushkin narrates the events of the Great Northern War and the Battle of Poltava in 1709. At the heart of the story is the fate of Hetman Mazepa, who betrayed Peter I and sided with the Swedish King Charles XII. Pushkin describes the dramatic events leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and its aftermath. A significant part of the poem is the love story between Mazepa and Maria, the daughter of Kochubey, who was executed on Mazepa's orders. The poem concludes with the victory of the Russian troops and the flight of Charles XII and Mazepa.