Ukraine’s cultural heritage is at risk of being destroyed by the war. As of January 2023, UNESCO announced it has verified damage to 235 sites of cultural importance since the Russian invasion. These include 104 religious sites, 18 museums, 83 buildings of historical/artistic interest, 19 monuments and 11 libraries.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), an initiative called Backup Ukraine has been launched to help safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The Polycam app allows citizens to make 3D models of buildings and monuments in case they are damaged or destroyed. It can be used for 3D scanning by mobile phones, DSLR cameras and even drones. The scans can then be uploaded and preserved online in a permanent digital archive.
The app allows all Ukrainians to have free access to the scanning technology without any training. Previously, 3D scans could only be carried out by experts with specialized knowledge and equipment. The project is a partnership between UNESCO, Blue Shield Denmark and VICE Media Group’s Virtue agency.
In war, traditional methods of cultural preservation are under pressure. Innovative technologies are welcome.
Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen, Chair of the Danish UNESCO National Commission
The people behind the project say that for now it’s limiting the recording of ‘public works’, such as major cultural assets, to a volunteer corps authorized by the authorities. But other citizens are being encouraged to record as well, be it local statues, meeting places and indoor locations like shelters.
According to the WEF, the Backup Ukraine project is enlisting professional help to preserve the country’s most important cultural sites. Skeiron is a team of 3D scanning experts who use their own specialized equipment to make large-scale scans. It says its 3D modeling archive already includes more than 100 important heritage sites as part of its #SaveUkrainianHeritage campaign.
“Across the country, Ukraine also has thousands of wooden churches, which are especially vulnerable to fire, and many also have important paintings in their interior – which is why it is important not only to laser scan them, but to get high-quality photogrammetry as well,” the team told Geo Week News.
UNESCO has implemented emergency measures to prevent as much destruction as possible. Some examples include: technical advice to protect buildings and begin inventories, the relocation of precious objects to shelters, as well as advice on fire-fighting measures. Seven UNESCO World Heritage sites are in Ukraine.
According to the WEF, Ukrainian authorities were also given assistance to mark cultural sites with the blue shield emblem. Sites with the blue shield are protected by the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Any infringement is considered to be a violation of international law, and both Russia and Ukraine are signatories.
