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

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, appreciating its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy may appear strange at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by showcase analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated 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 claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life 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 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for 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 value the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.