🔗 Share this article Safeguarding the Capital's Architectural Legacy: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of War. Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with two lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.” “We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Among the Explosions, a Fight for History Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp. Dual Challenges to Heritage But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another challenge. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously 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 argued. Destruction and Neglect 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 agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell 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 erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said. “It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions 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 last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.” The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Resilience in Preservation Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.” In the face of conflict and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.
Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who marked the occasion with two lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our homeland. I could have left, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our allegiance to our homeland.” “We strive to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage may appear strange at a moment when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Among the Explosions, a Fight for History Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its facade is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp. Dual Challenges to Heritage But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down historically significant buildings, dishonest officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s vast architectural history. The severe winter climate imposes another challenge. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the plan for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including judicial figures who curiously 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 argued. Destruction and Neglect 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 agreed to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the onset of major hostilities, excavators tore it down. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new commercial complex, monitored by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was fell 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 erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said. “It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 characterful vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions 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 last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.” The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people unwilling to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Resilience in Preservation Some buildings are falling apart because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and splendour.” In the face of conflict and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to save a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.