Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance towards an invading force, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our country. I could have left, starting anew to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems strange at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Campaign for History

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working 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 erected in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower 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 devil.

Several Threats to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t 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 nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate 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 not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she conceded. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first cherish its walls.