Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, admiring its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of defiance against a neighboring state, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of staying in our country. I could have left, relocating to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.”

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

Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems strange at a moment when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each attack, workers cover broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Among the Conflict, a Battle for History

Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to conserve the city’s crumbling 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 initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings nearby showcase similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a small tower on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Dangers to Legacy

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

“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 mayor was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of 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 defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Demolition and Disregard

One notorious location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a unfriendly 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 “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Continuing the Work

One of Kyiv’s most prominent 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 continuing his crucial preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique creeper-covered 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 crimson entrance 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 tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Resilience in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; rubbish lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are striving to save all this past and splendour.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.