Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a peafowl,” she remarked, appreciating its branch-like details. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance in the face of an invading force, she explained: “We are trying to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of staying in our country. I could have left, starting anew to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers seal broken windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Explosions, a Battle for Beauty

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been working 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 originally the home of a affluent fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau characteristics, including an irregular shape – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area displays two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Dual Challenges to History

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack 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 flatten important houses. Perov added that the plan for the capital harks back to a previous decade. The mayor denies these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that everyone 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 goes on the more we see degradation of our society and public institutions,” he contended.

Destruction and Disregard

One glaring example of destruction is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a stern 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 stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors are still in existence, she said.

“It was not foreign rockets that destroyed 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 unique 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 authentic railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still some distance away from such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to save a city’s heart, you must first protect its history.