Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. We have no fear of living in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a time when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing 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 Explosions, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display similar art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate 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 lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a stern security guard.

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

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped 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 crimson entrance and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens 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 some distance away from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.