Preserving the Capital's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance against an invading force, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear strange at a moment 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 assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been striving to save the city’s decaying 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 initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display similar art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate 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 monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. 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 levelled old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect 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 value the past? “Regrettably they lack 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she conceded. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first protect its history.