Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her newly installed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance towards an invading force, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in Ukraine. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered paradoxical at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Dangers to History

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Destruction and Disregard

One glaring demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom 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 resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Unfortunately 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 some distance away from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its stones.