Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I could have left, starting anew to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered unusual at a moment when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display comparable art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Threats to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing genuine 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a unfriendly 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 “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles 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 fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

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