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

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems unusual at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have 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 destroy important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Destruction and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad 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 crimson entrance and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to save a city’s identity, you must first protect its stones.