Protecting Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, appreciating its twig-detailed features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, moving away to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings seems unusual at a time when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Battle for History

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been striving to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display comparable 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 displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Challenges to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“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 mayor was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the concept 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 public-spirited activists who once protected 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 those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy 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 last 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 acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its history.