Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance against a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in Ukraine. I could have left, moving away to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear paradoxical at a period when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for History

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been attempting to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical 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 wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – 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 devil.

Several Challenges to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Loss and Abandonment

One notorious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted 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 lost his life in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first protect its history.