Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her newly installed front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, admiring its twig-detailed features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of remaining in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

In the midst of war, a collective of activists has been striving to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy 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 nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby display comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Threats to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, 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 degradation of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Demolition and Neglect

One egregious example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

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

“It was not external attacks that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little 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 also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.