Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards a neighboring state, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems paradoxical at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working 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 built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body indifferent or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably 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 remarked.

Loss and Abandonment

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, 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 demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 crimson entrance and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility 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 occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

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