🔗 Share this article Preserving the Capital's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of Conflict. Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties. It was also an expression of resistance against a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Among the Conflict, a Battle for Beauty Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Several Challenges to Heritage But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued. Destruction and Neglect One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a surly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green 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 accommodate military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 little 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? “Sadly they do not have 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Hope in Action Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and splendour.” In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.
Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its bowed shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, gazing at its branch-like ornamentation. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of impromptu pavement parties. It was also an expression of resistance against a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, relocating to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy seems strange at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, offensive operations have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and try, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Among the Conflict, a Battle for Beauty Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been working to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical 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 prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a gothic tower on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Several Challenges to Heritage But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who raze historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a administrative body indifferent or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another burden. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was closely associated with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov stated that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and public institutions,” he argued. Destruction and Neglect One glaring location of loss is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had pledged to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the 2022 invasion, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, monitored by a surly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green 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 accommodate military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their period doors survived, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that destroyed them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now little will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 little 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? “Sadly they do not have 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 such cultural awareness,” he said. Previous ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Hope in Action Some buildings are falling apart because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this past and splendour.” In the face of conflict and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first save its stones.