Protecting the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear unusual at a time when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret 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.

Several Dangers to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership 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 previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society 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 decline of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a unfriendly 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 claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she added. 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 “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

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