Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. I had the option to depart, moving away to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered paradoxical at a period when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Campaign for Identity

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase similar art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Multiple Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to save a city’s identity, you must first protect its stones.