Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our country. I could have left, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

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

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Dangers to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have real 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 flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come 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 everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, 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 facilitate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.