Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations Under the Threat of War.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, admiring its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards an invading force, she explained: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s built legacy may appear unusual at a moment when aerial assaults frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to save the city’s crumbling 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 first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit comparable 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 boasts two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Challenges to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Neglect

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside 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, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a surly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its primary street after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts 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 period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little 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 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons roosted among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she conceded. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.”

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