Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted 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 showy bird,” she stated, appreciating its twig-detailed features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance against a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered strange at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Threats to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected 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 those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of 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, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. 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 built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of war and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.