Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, appreciating its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance towards a foreign power, she explained: “We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a period when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

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

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Multiple Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“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 mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched 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 stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its walls.