Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. I could have left, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by showcase analogous art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Destruction and Abandonment

One egregious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused 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 renowned champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped 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 vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they do not have 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 civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first protect its walls.