Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Battle for Beauty

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

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital comes straight out of 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 championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the waterside 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. A day after the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, watched 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 levelled old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

In the face of war and neglect, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.