Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered strange at a time when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for History

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Challenges to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack substantive 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little 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? “Unfortunately they are without 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 civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.