Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative 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 towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in Ukraine. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered paradoxical at a moment when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating 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 initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display analogous art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish listed buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body indifferent or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while engaged in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful 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 authentic 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 tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

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