Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition against a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase analogous art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body unconcerned or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have genuine 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 destroy important houses. Perov added that the concept for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Abandonment

One notorious example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a unfriendly 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 stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while engaged in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with 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.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she conceded. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.