Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered strange at a moment when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to conserve 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 erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched 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 levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Unfortunately 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. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to save a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.