Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had affectionately dubbed its ornate 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 features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of opposition in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “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 homeland. I could have left, moving away to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.”

“Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered paradoxical at a period when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each assault, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been striving to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed 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 today,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit similar art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Threats to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership indifferent or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate official processions.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend 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 locals not cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons roosted among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, arguing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first protect its history.