RESTORATION CHALLENGES OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE DAMAGED BY RUSSIA’S ARMED AGGRESSION: RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN LVIV

The article synthesises the results of damage assessment, research, conservation and restoration interventions undertaken at listed sites damaged by Russian missile attacks in 2023-2025 in Lviv. In particular, the analysis draws on the restoration of the multi-apartment residential buildings at 62-68 Stryiska Street (missile strike of 6 July 2023), the multi-apartment residential buildings at 44 Konovaltsia Street and at 7 Melnyka Street (former urban villa, strike of 4 September 2024). Based on this experience, the paper identifies systemic challenges that define the specific character of architectural heritage conservation and restoration in Ukrainian realities, especially under wartime conditions. These challenges primarily include the lack of coordination between emergency response operations and professional conservation oversight; the rigidity of administrative and permitting procedures; complications arising from the residential function of heritage buildings and the unresolved legal status and governance structures of such properties; the shortage of historically compatible materials and the loss of traditional technologies; as well as a systemic crisis in the sector’s skilled workforce. The study demonstrates that under conditions of ongoing wartime destruction, restoration of war-damaged buildings becomes an increasingly complex process in which balancing the urgency of interventions, safety requirements, and the preservation of authenticity acquires fundamental importance. The necessity of integrating heritage expertise into emergency response systems, adapting regulatory mechanisms to the needs of urgent conservation, and developing a production and craft base capable of reproducing historic elements is substantiated. The proposed conclusions may contribute to improving the recovery practice for architectural heritage damaged as a result of war of aggression or emergency situations.