Protecting the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, appreciating its twig-detailed features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition in the face of an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings seems unusual at a time when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Battle for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably 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.

Destruction and Neglect

One glaring 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 pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a unfriendly 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 stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital 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 remain, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

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