Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her newly installed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of living in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by display analogous art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate 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 fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, 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 military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed 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 added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad 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 period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, 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 indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.