Preserving Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had given the moniker its ornate transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, gazing at its twig-detailed ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with several neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an act of defiance towards a neighboring state, she elaborated: “We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. I had the option to depart, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage could be considered unusual at a moment when drone attacks regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers cover broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Fight for Identity

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare in the present day,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau characteristics, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Dangers to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who knock down listed buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another challenge.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects 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 killed. The lengthy conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Destruction and Neglect

One egregious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, redesigning its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their period doors remain, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its broken windows; debris lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she conceded. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s identity, you must first save its walls.