Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, appreciating its twig-detailed ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of an invading force, she elaborated: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered paradoxical at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been striving to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical 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 affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine 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 exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Dangers to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down listed buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Loss and Disregard

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic 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 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 red door and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue 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 appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.