Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, appreciating its twig-detailed details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against an invading force, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy seems unusual at a moment when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers cover broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been striving to save the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a playful 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 affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Challenges to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

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

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. 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 fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect 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 residents not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to save a city’s identity, you must first cherish its stones.