Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition towards a neighboring state, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy seems unusual at a time when drone attacks regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Campaign for History

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent 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 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 goes on the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Disregard

One notorious demolition site 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 picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a unfriendly 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 claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. 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 authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on 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 locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.