Protecting the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I could have left, moving away to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems strange at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby display similar art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Challenges to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership apathetic or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“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 friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves 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 go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

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

Therapy 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 caved in; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its history.