Preserving the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of staying in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear paradoxical at a time when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers board up broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

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

“These buildings represent 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 in the vicinity showcase comparable 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 sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish protected buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

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

Loss and Abandonment

One egregious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a unfriendly 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 asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart 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 broken windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

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