Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her newly installed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, appreciating its twig-detailed ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. I had the option to depart, moving away to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered strange at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been striving to save 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 erected in 1906 and was initially the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles 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 little will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this history and beauty.”

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