Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, moving away to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a time when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for History

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack real 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 destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Abandonment

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates 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 carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant 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 hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its history.