Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of remaining in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered unusual at a time when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each attack, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for History

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting 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 erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display comparable art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Loss and Neglect

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on 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 appreciate the past? “Sadly they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this history and splendour.”

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