Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear unusual at a moment when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for Identity

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working 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 initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class indifferent or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. 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 authentic 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 “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Often we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this history and beauty.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first cherish its walls.