Protecting Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance towards a foreign power, she clarified: “We are trying to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of living in Ukraine. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a period when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Fight for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko said. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Challenges to Legacy

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, 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 deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, diggers demolished it. 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 turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while engaged 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 constructed for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves 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 fail to protect 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 citizens not appreciate 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 that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first save its history.