Protecting the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition towards a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to Italy. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear strange at a period when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Campaign for History

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been striving to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he contended.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful 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 red door and original-style 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 occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Regrettably 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. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.