Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance against a foreign power, she explained: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear unusual at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been working to save 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 originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Threats to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come 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 killed. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone 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 deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Disregard

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. 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 constructed for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend 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 also serves 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 don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and neglect, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its history.