Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Itself Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a lighthearted tribute to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peacock,” she remarked, admiring its twig-detailed details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with several lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance against a neighboring state, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear paradoxical at a time when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase similar art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Dual Challenges to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and state bodies,” he remarked.

Loss and Abandonment

One egregious example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, watched 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 destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

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

“It was not foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character creeper-covered 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 period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for 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 “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate 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 some distance away from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Hope 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 shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of war and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first protect its history.