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

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Local helpers had playfully nicknamed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, appreciating its twig-detailed details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of lively pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way. Fear does not drive us of living in our country. I had the option to depart, relocating to a foreign land. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered unusual at a period when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Within the Conflict, a Battle for History

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been working to conserve the city’s crumbling 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 first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko said. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved 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 profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or resistant to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack substantive political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

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

Demolition and Abandonment

One notorious location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 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 external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character 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 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 not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Sadly 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 some distance away from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Hope in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she admitted. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one facade at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.