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

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy may appear unusual at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for History

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been attempting to save the city’s deteriorating 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 first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged 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 protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Demolition and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not value the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first save its walls.