Preserving the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems unusual at a moment when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Challenges to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Abandonment

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. 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 destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped 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 red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction 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 walls.