Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, gazing at its twig-detailed features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of staying in Ukraine. I could have left, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a period when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Campaign for History

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit similar art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Challenges to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Abandonment

One egregious example of destruction 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 picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Sadly they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first protect its stones.