Preserving the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance against a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I could have left, moving away to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when drone attacks regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to conserve 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 constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to History

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

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic 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 neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing 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 value the past? “Sadly 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 not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first protect its walls.