Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition towards an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of staying in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear paradoxical at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for Beauty

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been attempting to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Challenges to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body apathetic or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they do not have 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 that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience 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 collapsed; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.