Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance towards a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I could have left, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a period when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for History

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been working to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Abandonment

One notorious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped 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 crimson entrance and period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first save its walls.