Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, appreciating its twig-detailed ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance against a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear paradoxical at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Conflict, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been working to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer 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 small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down protected buildings, unethical officials and a governing class unconcerned or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. 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 serving in the military or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Loss and Abandonment

One glaring location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, 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 destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while engaged in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad 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 crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect 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 cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have 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. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying 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 soul, you must first save its walls.