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

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, admiring its branch-like details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of opposition towards an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of staying in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered paradoxical at a time when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been working 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 constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit analogous art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the plan 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 civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One notorious example of destruction is in the historic 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. A day after the 2022 invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a stern 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 “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders 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 important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Unfortunately 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 some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and aesthetic value.”

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