Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Itself Under the Threat 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. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, appreciating its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “We strive to live like normal people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of staying in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been significantly intensified. After each strike, workers cover broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Bombs, a Battle for Identity

In the midst of war, a group of activists has been striving to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by display similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure.

Multiple Threats to Heritage

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership indifferent or hostile to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing genuine 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 flatten important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Destruction and Neglect

One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated 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 levelled old properties while claiming they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could accommodate military vehicles.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while engaged in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It wasn’t aerial bombardments that got rid of them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, 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 attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this history and splendour.”

In the face of destruction and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its stones.