Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of remaining in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Challenges to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish protected buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor rejects 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 lost. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Destruction and Disregard

One notorious example of destruction 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. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for 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 “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she admitted. “This activity is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to save a city’s heart, you must first save its history.