Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems strange at a period when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for History

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions 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 vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles 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 fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first cherish its walls.