Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy seems paradoxical at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been working to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Threats to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish listed buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack substantive 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 flatten important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Disregard

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic 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. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. 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 coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves 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 occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first protect its history.