Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance against an invading force, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for Beauty

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been working 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 initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Destruction and Neglect

One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last 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? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.