🔗 Share this article Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of Conflict. Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an act of resistance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.” Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear paradoxical at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Campaign for History In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Challenges to History But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society 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 deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended. Demolition and Disregard One notorious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said. “It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Hope in Restoration Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.
Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “crescent roll”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who commemorated the work with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an act of resistance towards a foreign power, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of staying in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, moving away to a foreign land. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance shows our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like everyday people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.” Preserving Kyiv’s built legacy may appear paradoxical at a time when missile strikes regularly target the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, aerial raids have been notably increased. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Campaign for History In the midst of war, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity display similar art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a medieval spire on one side and a projection on the other. One much-loved house in the area features two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Challenges to History But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class unconcerned or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate adds another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was allied with many of the developers who destroy important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor denies these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society 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 deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he contended. Demolition and Disregard One notorious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate military vehicles. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while serving in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his crucial preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many constructed for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said. “It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates 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 continue for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Regrettably they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Hope in Restoration Some buildings are collapsing because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna showed a once-magical villa hidden behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a storybook tower. “Often we lose the battle,” she conceded. “This activity is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this past and beauty.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one facade at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first cherish its walls.