Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, admiring its branch-like ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance against an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We have no fear of living in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for History

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been striving to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display analogous art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership apathetic or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Demolition and Abandonment

One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic 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 resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.