Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “We strive to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of staying in our country. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication 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.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems paradoxical at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for History

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a stern 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 asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while engaged in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful 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 admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect 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 residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this history 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 soul, you must first cherish its stones.