Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, appreciating its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered unusual at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Campaign for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been striving to conserve 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 erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are 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 nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Demolition and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. 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 original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing 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 value the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first protect its walls.