🔗 Share this article Safeguarding Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: An Urban Center Rebuilding Its Foundations Under the Threat of Conflict. Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.” “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.” Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Fight for History Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Dangers to History But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have substantive 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 plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked. Loss and Disregard One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a surly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles. Continuing the Work One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said. “It was not foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered 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 vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added. Therapy in Preservation Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first protect its history.
Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. Local helpers had given the moniker its elegant transom window the “pastry”, a whimsical nod to its arched shape. “Personally, I believe it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its branch-like details. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with two neighbourhood pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way. We have no fear of living in our country. The possibility to emigrate existed, relocating to another European nation. Conversely, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.” “We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way.” Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings may appear unusual at a time when drone attacks frequently hit the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the onset of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each strike, workers seal broken windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to secure residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Fight for History Amid the bombs, a collective of activists has been striving to preserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its exterior is decorated with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are increasingly scarce today,” Danylenko noted. The mansion was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity exhibit similar art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One beloved house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a demonic figure. Several Dangers to History But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face unscrupulous developers who raze protected buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The harsh winter climate adds another difficulty. “Kyiv is a city where capital prevails. We don’t have substantive 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 plan for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, saying they originate from political rivals. Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that the entire society was facing financial problems, he added, including judicial figures who mysteriously ruled in favour of suspect new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see decline of our society and state bodies,” he remarked. Loss and Disregard One notorious demolition site is in the historic Podil neighbourhood. The street was lined with classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had agreed to preserve its attractive brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, heavy machinery tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, watched by a surly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining turquoise-painted houses on the site. Sometimes developers destroyed old properties while stating they were doing “historical excavation”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its central boulevard after the second world war so it could allow for military vehicles. Continuing the Work One of Kyiv’s most renowned champions of historic buildings, a cultural activist, was killed in 2022 while fighting in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his vital preservation work. There were initially 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy industrialists. Only 80 of their period doors are still in existence, she said. “It was not foreign rockets that destroyed them. It was us,” she lamented. “The war could last another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now nothing will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered 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 vermilion portal and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don’t defend architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not cherish the past? “Unfortunately they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to move towards the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their architectural setting, he added. Therapy in Preservation Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna showed a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons roosted among its shattered windows; debris lay under a whimsical tower. “Frequently we are unsuccessful,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this past and aesthetic value.” In the face of war and commercial interests, these volunteers continue their work, one building at a time, believing that to rebuild a city’s soul, you must first protect its history.