Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition towards an invading force, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Campaign for History

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

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Loss and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a unfriendly 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 stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned 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 persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors survived, 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 characterful 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for 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 appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, arguing that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its stones.