The Day of Military Glory of Russia – the Day of the victory of the Russian army under the command of Peter the Great over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava (1709) is celebrated on July 10, in accordance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia.” The Battle of Poltava itself – a decisive episode of the Great Northern War – took place on July 8, 1709. The Russian army of Peter I and the Swedish army of Charles XII participated in it. After Peter I recaptured Livonia from Charles XII and founded the new fortress city of Saint Petersburg, the latter decided to attack central Russia and capture Moscow. Unfavorable climatic conditions prevented Charles from doing so, so he led his army to Moscow from the south, through Ukraine. By the time the Swedish army reached Poltava, Charles was wounded, had lost a third of his army, and his rear was attacked by Cossacks and Kalmyks. On May 11, 1709, the Swedish troops that invaded Russian territory began the siege of Poltava. Its garrison, consisting of 4200 soldiers and 2600 armed citizens, led by Colonel A.S. Kelin, successfully repelled several assaults. In late May, the main forces of the Russian army, led by Peter, approached Poltava. They settled on the left bank of the Vorskla River, opposite the city. After Peter I decided on July 8 to engage in a general battle, on the same day, the Russian vanguard crossed the Vorskla north of Poltava near the village of Petrovka, ensuring the entire army’s crossing. The Battle of Poltava ended with a convincing victory for the Russian army. The enemy lost over 9000 killed and 3000 prisoners. Russian losses were 1345 killed and 3290 wounded. Charles himself was wounded and fled with a small detachment, hiding in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. The military power of the Swedes was undermined, and the fame of the invincibility of Charles XII was dispelled. The decisive victory of the Russians led to a turning point in the Great Northern War in favor of Russia, determining its outcome and ending Sweden’s dominance as the main military power in Europe. The Russian army demonstrated excellent combat training and heroism, and Peter I and his commanders showed outstanding military leadership skills. The Russians were the first in the military science of that era to use field fortifications and rapidly moving horse artillery. In 1721, the Great Northern War ended with the complete victory of Peter I. The old Russian lands returned to Russia, which firmly established itself on the shores of the Baltic Sea. In 1710, in Saint Petersburg, in honor of the victory in this battle, by order of Peter, the Sampsonievskaya Church was built (since the battle took place on the day of Saint Samson the Hospitable – commemorated on June 27 old style). On the 25th anniversary of the battle, the famous sculpture “Samson tearing the lion’s mouth” was installed in Peterhof, where the lion symbolized Sweden, whose coat of arms contains this heraldic animal. On the battlefield of Poltava, in 1852, the Sampsonievskaya Church was built. In Soviet times, the event was almost forgotten, only in 1981, in preparation for the 275th anniversary of the battle, the Poltava field was declared a state historical and cultural reserve. And since 1995, this date has been celebrated as the Day of Military Glory of Russia.