Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition against a foreign power, she explained: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered paradoxical at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for History

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display analogous art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Challenges to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Abandonment

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. 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 red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing 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 appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its history.