Protecting Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, appreciating its twig-detailed details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance towards a foreign power, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our country. I could have left, moving away to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers cover broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase analogous art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Challenges to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was fell in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first cherish its history.