Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers 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, admiring its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who commemorated the work with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an act of resistance against a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of staying in our country. I could have left, relocating to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We strive to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings seems strange at a moment when missile strikes routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and try, where possible, to save residential buildings.

Within the Bombs, a Fight for History

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been striving to save the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko stated. The building was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Several Challenges to Heritage

But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who knock down protected buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another burden.

“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

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

Demolition and Disregard

One egregious demolition site is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, excavators demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also caused immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades.

Upholding the Legacy

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates 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 persevering in his important preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors remain, she said.

“It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character ivy-draped 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 fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Sadly they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to move towards the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; rubbish lay under a storybook tower. “Many times we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, arguing that to save a city’s identity, you must first save its history.