Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance against a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Fight for History

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been working to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor denies 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 lost. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, 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 remarked.

Demolition and Abandonment

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first protect its stones.