Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a time when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been striving to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a playful 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another challenge.

“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 added that the concept for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come 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 ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed 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 asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped 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 crimson entrance and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility 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 resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.