Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its twig-detailed details. The restoration project 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 demonstration of resistance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems paradoxical at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

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

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display analogous art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing genuine 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 is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Destruction 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 obtained the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped 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 vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Unfortunately 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 that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

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