Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with two lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy seems paradoxical at a time when aerial assaults regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Fight for Identity

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit similar art nouveau elements, 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 displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Dual Dangers to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down protected buildings, dishonest officials and a administrative body indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Demolition and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates 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 continuing his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles 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 neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Often we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

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