Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We have no fear of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s crumbling 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 initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase comparable art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership unconcerned or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, watched 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 claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates 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 originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.