Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance against a neighboring state, she explained: “We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a time when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a governing class apathetic or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first protect its stones.