Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “We are trying to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our homeland. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear strange at a period when drone attacks regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for History

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful 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 affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display similar art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Dangers to Legacy

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society 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 state bodies,” he contended.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not value the past? “Regrettably they do not have 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. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.