🔗 Share this article Preserving the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War. Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an act of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered unusual at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Battle for History Despite the violence, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp. Several Challenges to Legacy But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing substantive 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 added that the vision for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he contended. Loss and Abandonment One notorious 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 pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, watched 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 demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.” The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added. Hope in Preservation Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.
Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Volunteers had affectionately dubbed its ornate transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she stated, appreciating its tree limb-inspired features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an act of resistance in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “Our aim is to live like everyday people despite the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to Italy. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance represents our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.” Safeguarding Kyiv’s built legacy could be considered unusual at a time when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the beginning of the current year, offensive operations have been notably increased. After each strike, workers cover shattered windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Battle for History Despite the violence, a group of activists has been attempting to preserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers. “They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One popular house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp. Several Challenges to Legacy But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish listed buildings, corrupt officials and a governing class apathetic or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The severe winter climate presents another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing substantive 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 added that the vision for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once protected older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been killed. The lengthy conflict meant that everyone was facing financial problems, he added, including those in the legal system who inexplicably ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and public institutions,” he contended. Loss and Abandonment One notorious 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 pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. Shortly following the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, watched 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 demolished old properties while stating they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, redesigning its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent defenders of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his important preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 brick-built mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and operates as a film set and museum. The property has a new vermilion portal and authentic railings; inside is a historic washroom and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now little will be left.” The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not cherish the past? “Regrettably they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to go to the west. But we are still not yet close from such cultural awareness,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added. Hope in Preservation Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we lose the battle,” she conceded. “Preservation work is therapy for us. We are striving to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these activists continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first protect its walls.