Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance against a foreign power, she elaborated: “We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear paradoxical at a time when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Battle for Beauty

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful 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 facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish protected buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Loss and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 vermilion portal and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric 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 move towards 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 architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she admitted. “This activity is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.