While Russian missiles and drones bring regular destruction to the Ukrainian capital, a quiet but determined act of defiance is taking place on its historic streets. Volunteers and residents are banding together to restore Kyiv's crumbling architectural gems, a poignant effort to preserve normalcy and national identity in the shadow of a brutal war.
A New Door as an Act of Resistance
Lesia Danylenko recently celebrated the restoration of the elegant art nouveau entrance to her central Kyiv home, a building constructed in 1906 for a wealthy fur trader. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed the transom window's curved shape the "croissant," though Danylenko sees it more as a peacock. The project, which brought neighbours together for pavement parties, is about more than aesthetics.
"We are trying to live like normal people despite the war," Danylenko explained. "It's about arranging our life in the best possible way. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland." For her, staying to restore her home is a conscious choice against fleeing abroad, a statement of resilience.
Fighting Two Fronts: War and Neglect
The mission to save Kyiv's architectural heritage faces a dual threat. The immediate danger comes from the Kremlin's intensified aerial raids, which have escalated since the start of 2025. Yet activists argue an equally insidious enemy exists at home: unscrupulous property development, corruption, and official indifference.
Dmytro Perov, an activist with the Heritage Kyiv group, is blunt in his assessment. "Kyiv is a city where money wins. We don't have real political will to save our heritage," he states. He alleges that city mayor Vitali Klitschko is friendly with developers who bulldoze listed buildings, a claim Klitschko denies, attributing it to political rivals.
Perov points to a stark example in the Podil neighbourhood, where a classical 19th-century house facade was torn down by diggers just a day after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, despite preservation agreements. The war has also depleted the ranks of preservationists, with many now fighting on the frontlines or, like celebrated tour guide Serhiy Mironov, killed in action.
The Race to Save 'Ukrainian Modernism'
The buildings at the heart of this struggle are distinctive mansions built in a style known as Ukrainian modernism, a playful offshoot of art nouveau. They feature asymmetrical designs, gothic towers, turrets, and intricate stucco work depicting flora, fauna, and mythical creatures. Once numbering 3,500, many were built for the city's sugar barons.
Nelli Chudna, a campaigner with the organisation True Kyiv who continues Mironov's work, laments that neglect has been as damaging as war. "It wasn't Russian rockets that got rid of them. It was us," she says, noting that only 80 original doors from these mansions survive. "The war could go on for another 20 years. If we don't defend architecture now nothing will be left."
Her group has restored a creeper-covered 1910 house, which now serves as their headquarters, a film set, and a museum. For the volunteers, the physical work of restoration is therapeutic. Yet they face constant setbacks, pointing to a once-magical villa now rotting behind a hospital, its roof collapsed and windows broken. "Often we don't win," Chudna admits. "But we are trying to save all this history and beauty."
As artist Yurii Pikul, who lives in the restored True Kyiv building, observes, the challenge is also cultural, with Soviet-era mindsets lingering and a focus on business often overriding heritage. Amidst the ongoing bombardment, these activists are engaged in a parallel battle, using trowels and paintbrushes to defend the soul of their city, one crumbling mansion at a time.
