Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in Ukraine. I could have left, starting anew to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy seems unusual at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers cover broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for Identity

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two unhappy 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 listed buildings, unethical officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the vision 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 protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions 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 carrying on his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which acts 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 period bathroom 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 resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool 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 go to the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.