Protecting Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its twig-detailed features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear strange at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, 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 degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

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 acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to save a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.