Protecting the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition against a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Campaign for History

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Threats to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down listed buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine 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 destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, observed 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 demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts 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 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 “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to save a city’s identity, you must first protect its stones.