🔗 Share this article Safeguarding the Capital's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of War. Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties. It was also an expression of opposition against a neighboring state, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.” Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Within the Bombs, a Fight for Beauty Amid the bombs, a collective 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 downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally 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 increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Threats to Legacy But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked. Loss and Disregard One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life 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 at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said. “It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Resilience in Preservation Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and splendour.” In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to save a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.
Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had given the moniker its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a showy bird,” she stated, admiring its branch-like features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was funded through residents, who celebrated with a couple of lively pavement parties. It was also an expression of opposition against a neighboring state, she elaborated: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the most positive way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.” Protecting Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each attack, workers board up shattered windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings. Within the Bombs, a Fight for Beauty Amid the bombs, a collective 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 downtown Shevchenkivskyi district. It was constructed in 1906 and was originally 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 increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase analogous art nouveau elements, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a small tower on the other. One popular house in the area displays two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Threats to Legacy But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unprincipled developers who demolish listed buildings, unethical officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate imposes another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We lack real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He alleged the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who flatten important houses. Perov stated that the plan for the capital harks back to a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, attributing them from political rivals. Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once defended older properties were now serving in the military or had been killed. The ongoing conflict meant that all citizens was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this persists the more we see degradation of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked. Loss and Disregard One glaring demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who acquired the plot had committed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the full-scale invasion, heavy machinery demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a stern security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A previous regime also inflicted immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its central boulevard after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades. Carrying the Torch One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life 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 at one time 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s successful business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors remain, she said. “It was not external attacks that destroyed them. It was us,” she said with regret. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left,” she continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad 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 red door and original-style railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors. “The war could last another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now nothing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to move towards the west. But we are still some distance away from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added. Resilience in Preservation Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna pointed to a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had fallen; pigeons nested among its broken windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “This activity is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this history and splendour.” In the face of war and development pressures, these citizens continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to save a city’s identity, you must first cherish its history.