Protecting the Capital'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 given the moniker its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its twig-detailed details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against an invading force, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our homeland. I had the option to depart, moving away to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers board up broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been attempting to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase comparable art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Threats to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Disregard

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed 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 characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

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