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

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like features. The renovation effort 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 act of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she explained: “We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our homeland. I could have left, moving away to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display analogous art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Several Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained 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 dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful 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 crimson entrance and original-style 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 not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not value the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and neglect, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.