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

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, appreciating its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of staying in our country. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, 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 optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy seems paradoxical at a time when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to save 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 first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by showcase similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Challenges to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish 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. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.