Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her newly installed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition against an invading force, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive 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 structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase analogous art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds 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 flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Neglect

One glaring demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions 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 persevering in his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped 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 crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this history and splendour.”

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