Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of staying in our country. I could have left, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems unusual at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for History

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to save 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 facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent 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 nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic 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. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated 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 coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. 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 entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered 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 vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first cherish its walls.