Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition against an invading force, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our country. I could have left, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy may appear unusual at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was initially 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 nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display similar art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership apathetic or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends 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, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious 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 agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored 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 asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders 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 carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered 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 crimson entrance and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards 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 urban environment, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

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