Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We have no fear of staying in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Neglect

One glaring demolition site is in the historic 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. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

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

“It was not foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which functions 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 period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing 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 trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing 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 shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of conflict and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its stones.