Preserving the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its twig-detailed features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. I could have left, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered strange at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for History

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been attempting to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase analogous art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Threats to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership apathetic or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“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 closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s tenant, 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 not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and splendour.”

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