Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance towards a neighboring state, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our homeland. I could have left, moving away to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a period when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Fight for History

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Threats to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes 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 mayor was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Abandonment

One notorious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, 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 destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving 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 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting 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, stating that to save a city’s soul, you must first protect its walls.