Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance against a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We strive to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems strange at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

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

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase similar art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Dangers to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

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

Destruction and Neglect

One glaring location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched 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 stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which functions 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 period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect 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 citizens not appreciate the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she conceded. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

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