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

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance against an invading force, she explained: “We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy may appear paradoxical at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Fight for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to preserve 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 constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Challenges to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them 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 killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug 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 asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was fell in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles 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 neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, 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 striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.