Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, admiring its twig-detailed features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards an invading force, she elaborated: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, moving away to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a moment when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Campaign for Identity

Despite the violence, a collective of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Challenges to Legacy

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Demolition and Neglect

One glaring location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern 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 claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves 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 last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not value the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this history and beauty.”

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