Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, admiring its twig-detailed features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of living in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, moving away to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered paradoxical at a period when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Campaign for Beauty

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Challenges to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. 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 vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, 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 neglect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful 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 original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Sadly they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart 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 shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and beauty.”

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