Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with two impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of a foreign power, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our homeland. I had the option to depart, moving away to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings seems strange at a time when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit analogous art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Multiple Challenges to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, 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 public institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Abandonment

One glaring demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while serving in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first protect its walls.