Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. I could have left, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Challenges to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad 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 vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

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

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first save its stones.