Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, appreciating 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 a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition against a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, relocating to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

Despite the violence, a group 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 historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Dangers to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down protected buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack 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 destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Abandonment

One egregious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured 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 primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped 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 vintage sanitary facility 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 “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not value the past? “Unfortunately 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 a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

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