Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards an invading force, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems strange at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class apathetic or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. 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 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 occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope 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 made their home among its shattered windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first protect its stones.