Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards a foreign power, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems strange at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Battle for Beauty

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Challenges to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real 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 destroy important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them 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 ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One notorious demolition site is in the waterside 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 onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this history and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s identity, you must first save its history.