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

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its bowed shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, gazing at its tree limb-inspired ornamentation. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition against an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of living in Ukraine. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to Italy. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance represents our allegiance to our homeland.”

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

Preserving Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear unusual at a time when missile strikes regularly target 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 shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Campaign for Beauty

Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been working to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including a lack of symmetry – with a medieval spire 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 imp.

Dual Threats to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s leadership was friends 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, stating they come from political rivals.

Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.

Loss and Abandonment

One glaring example of destruction is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry 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 aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique 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 authentic railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not value 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 civilization,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Action

Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are trying to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first save its walls.