Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition against a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our homeland. I had the option to depart, moving away to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Disregard

One glaring demolition site is in the waterside 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. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured 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, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately 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 that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to save a city’s soul, you must first protect its stones.