Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, appreciating its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition against a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a time when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Battle for Identity

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy 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 uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Threats to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class indifferent or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have genuine 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 bulldoze important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Abandonment

One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered 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 crimson entrance and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted 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 striving to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

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