🔗 Share this article Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War. 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 “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite 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, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Among the Bombs, a Battle for Identity In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to save the city’s decaying 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 wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Dual Dangers to Legacy But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he argued. Destruction and Disregard One glaring location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a unfriendly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions. Continuing the Work One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said. “It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left.” The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Resilience in Action Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.” In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first save 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 “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its curved shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she commented, gazing at its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against a foreign power, she clarified: “We strive to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. Fear does not drive us of living in our homeland. I had the option to depart, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite 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, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Among the Bombs, a Battle for Identity In the midst of war, a band of activists has been working to save the city’s decaying 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 wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon nowadays,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau elements, including a lack of symmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One beloved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Dual Dangers to Legacy But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a governing class indifferent or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov added that the vision for the capital is reminiscent of a different time. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once protected older properties were now serving in the military or had been lost. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see decline of our society and governing institutions,” he argued. Destruction and Disregard One glaring location of loss is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was the site of classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the 2022 invasion, excavators razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a unfriendly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A former political system also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for official processions. Continuing the Work One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while engaged in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said. “It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “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 functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left.” The building’s resident, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not cherish the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to go to the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Resilience in Action Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its smashed windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “Restoration is therapy for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and splendour.” In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one door at a time, believing that to preserve a city’s heart, you must first save its walls.