Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance against an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a time when drone attacks regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for History

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy 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 today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Dangers to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Neglect

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside 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. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect 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? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to save a city’s soul, you must first cherish its history.