🔗 Share this article Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Rebuilding Itself in the Shadow of War. Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, admiring its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.” Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Fight for Beauty Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Dual Threats to Legacy But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued. Demolition and Abandonment One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a unfriendly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades. Upholding the Legacy One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of 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 continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Sadly they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Hope in Action Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and splendour.” In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.
Lesia Danylenko showed off with satisfaction her newly installed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a playful reference to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peacock,” she commented, admiring its branch-like features. The renovation effort at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who commemorated the work with two lively pavement parties. It was also an demonstration of defiance against an invading force, she clarified: “We are trying to live like ordinary people despite the war. It’s about shaping our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of remaining in our country. I had the option to depart, starting anew to another European nation. Instead, I’m here. The new entrance symbolizes our dedication to our homeland.” “Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the optimal way.” Protecting Kyiv’s historic buildings seems paradoxical at a period when missile strikes regularly target the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been significantly intensified. After each assault, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to save residential buildings. Within the Conflict, a Fight for Beauty Despite the violence, a group of activists has been working to save the city’s decaying mansions, built in a whimsical style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. It was erected in 1906 and was first the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and delicate camomile flowers. “These buildings represent symbols of Kyiv. These properties are quite rare nowadays,” Danylenko said. The building was designed by an architect of Austrian-German origin. Several other buildings close by showcase comparable art nouveau features, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a turret on the other. One popular house in the area features two sullen white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil. Dual Threats to Legacy But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who knock down protected buildings, dishonest officials and a governing class unconcerned or hostile to the city’s profound architectural history. The bitter winter climate adds another burden. “Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don’t have genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s mayor was allied with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov stated that the concept for the capital harks back to a different time. The mayor rejects these claims, stating they come from political rivals. Perov said many of the civically minded activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing monetary strain, he added, including judicial figures who curiously ruled in favour of questionable new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued. Demolition and Abandonment One glaring example of destruction is in the riverside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane prepared foundations for a new shopping and business centre, observed by a unfriendly security guard. Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was little optimism for the remaining coloured houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while claiming they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also inflicted immense damage on the capital, rebuilding its primary street after the second world war so it could allow for large-scale parades. Upholding the Legacy One of Kyiv’s most notable defenders of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was killed in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his crucial preservation work. There were initially 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful industrialists. Only 80 of their authentic doors survived, she said. “It was not aerial bombardments that got rid of 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 continued. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful ivy-draped house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and original-style railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors. “The war could continue for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now not a thing will be left.” The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “incredibly atmospheric and a little bit cold”. Why do many residents not appreciate the past? “Sadly they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are striving as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still a way off from civilization,” he said. Soviet-era ways of thinking lingered, with people hesitant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added. Hope in Action Some buildings are collapsing because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its broken windows; debris lay under a fairytale tower. “Frequently we lose the battle,” she acknowledged. “This activity is a coping mechanism for us. We are striving to save all this history and splendour.” In the face of destruction and development pressures, these volunteers continue their work, one facade at a time, stating that to rebuild a city’s heart, you must first cherish its stones.