Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, appreciating its twig-detailed details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I could have left, moving away to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers board up broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been working to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Dangers to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish protected buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another challenge.

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

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed 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 emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving 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 hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.