Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance against a neighboring state, she explained: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Fight for History

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit analogous art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Dangers to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously 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.

Demolition and Abandonment

One egregious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted 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, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped 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 vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying 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 unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to save a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.