Safeguarding Kyiv's Heritage: A City Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War.
Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “croissant”, a playful reference to its arched shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she stated, gazing at its twig-detailed features. The refurbishment initiative at one of Kyiv’s pre-World War I art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who celebrated with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.
It was also an expression of defiance in the face of a neighboring state, she explained: “We strive to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of remaining in our country. I could have left, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our allegiance to our homeland.”
“Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”
Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a moment when drone attacks routinely fall the capital, bringing death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, bombing campaigns have been notably increased. After each assault, workers cover blown-out windows with plywood and attempt, where possible, to secure residential buildings.
Among the Explosions, a Battle for Identity
Amid the bombs, a band of activists has been attempting to preserve 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 initially the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is embellished with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.
“These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon today,” Danylenko said. 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 projection on the other. One beloved house in the area features two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.
Several Threats to History
But external attacks is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who demolish historically significant buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another burden.
“Kyiv is a city where money wins. We lack 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 flatten important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept 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 community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now serving in the military or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who inexplicably ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he remarked.
Loss and Abandonment
One notorious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. Shortly following the onset of major hostilities, diggers razed it to the ground. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new commercial complex, observed by a stern security guard.
Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was faint chance for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while asserting they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.
Carrying the Torch
One of Kyiv’s most prominent champions of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was fell in 2022 while fighting in a eastern city. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were carrying on his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many erected for the city’s prosperous entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.
“It was not aerial bombardments that eliminated them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a unique vine-clad house built in 1910, which serves as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance 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 “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many locals not appreciate the past? “Unfortunately they do not have education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking persisted, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their urban environment, he added.
Therapy in Action
Some buildings are falling apart because of bureaucratic indifference. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; refuse lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we don’t win,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are trying to save all this past and beauty.”
In the face of conflict and neglect, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, arguing that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.
