Protecting Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, appreciating its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition against a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

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

Within the Bombs, a Campaign for History

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

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area displays two unhappy 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 demolish listed buildings, unethical officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack substantive 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 destroy important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart 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 shattered windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

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