Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance against a foreign power, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear paradoxical at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers board up broken windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Fight for Identity

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

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body apathetic or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept 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 public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Sadly 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 some distance away from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of bureaucratic indifference. 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 whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

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