Preserving the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Campaign for Identity

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Dangers to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Demolition and Neglect

One egregious location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad 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 vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing 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 appreciate the past? “Unfortunately 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 unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its smashed windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.