Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of a foreign power, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems paradoxical at a moment when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers cover broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two sullen 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 unprincipled developers who knock down listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come 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 killed. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated 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 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 primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered 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 crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom 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 “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

In the face of destruction 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.