Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our country. I could have left, starting anew to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a period when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers board up broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for Beauty

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s crumbling 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 originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated 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 noted. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display similar art nouveau characteristics, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Threats to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive 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 destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a previous decade. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Destruction and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

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

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first save its stones.