Protecting the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her newly installed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition in the face of a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of remaining in Ukraine. I could have left, starting anew to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered unusual at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working to save the city’s deteriorating 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 facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by showcase similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. 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 engaged in combat or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Demolition and Disregard

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, 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 stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting 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 built for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of war and neglect, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.