Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy may appear unusual at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Fight for History

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been working to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Multiple Threats to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them 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 ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Disregard

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug 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 “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom 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 tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

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 soul, you must first protect its walls.