Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat 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 whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our country. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for History

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership apathetic or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate 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 lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Disregard

One egregious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime 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 renowned champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect 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 residents not cherish the past? “Sadly they are without 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to save a city’s soul, you must first save its stones.