Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, admiring its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance in the face of an invading force, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered strange at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers board up broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Battle for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two sullen 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 unscrupulous developers who demolish protected buildings, unethical officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, watched 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 asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad 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 original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect 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? “Unfortunately 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 not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she admitted. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its history.