Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, appreciating its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We have no fear of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear strange at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Battle for History

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been striving to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase analogous art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures 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 contended.

Loss and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped 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 don’t defend architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool 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 a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of war and neglect, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its history.