Protecting the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its branch-like ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a neighboring state, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered paradoxical at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for History

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase comparable art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Threats to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership unconcerned or opposed to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack 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 flatten important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while engaged 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 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little 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 trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of war and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s soul, you must first protect its walls.