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

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance towards a neighboring state, she explained: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of remaining in Ukraine. 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 shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a moment when missile strikes regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Identity

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down listed buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack 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 flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone 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 degradation of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Abandonment

One glaring demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug 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 blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect 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 residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first protect its stones.