Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards an invading force, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a period when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

In the midst of war, a group 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 central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Threats to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. 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 added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored 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 demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom 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 tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they lack 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 civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to save a city’s identity, you must first save its history.