Protecting the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear paradoxical at a period when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been striving to save 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 constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Destruction and Abandonment

One glaring demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting 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 unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to save a city’s heart, you must first save its history.