Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition in the face of a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Fight for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a surly 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 “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 red door and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom 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 value the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.