3D scans digitally preserve Ukrainian cultural monuments

A scanning app is used to create detailed 3D models of Ukrainian cultural monuments in order to preserve them beyond the war.

Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine is destroying hundreds of landmarks, cultural sites and monuments. As part of the Backup Ukraine project, these cultural monuments, as well as residential buildings, parks, playgrounds and other objects, are being scanned by civilians with their smartphones using the Polycam app.

The software generates a detailed 3D model from the scans, which is permanently stored in a digital archive as part of this initiative.

High-quality scans are intended for educational purposes and reconstructions

The project was launched shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in order to preserve the country's cultural heritage and document it using augmented reality. The scans are of a high quality so that they can be projected into a physical space, explored and used for reconstruction.

More than 150 volunteers have joined the initiative and scan up to ten culturally relevant objects every day. Furthermore, over 6,000 people in Ukraine have downloaded the Polycam app to access the archive.

Backup Ukraine is in regular contact with the Heritage Emergency Rescue Initiative, a Ukrainian initiative of the Ministry of Culture, and is coordinating with experts in the 3D scanning industry in order to scan faster and on a larger scale in future. The attributes of Ukrainian identity such as culture, language, literature, music and architecture are original and inimitable - they must be preserved, says Yuri Shevchuk, a native Ukrainian and professor of Ukrainian language at Columbia University.

Daily destruction of Ukrainian culture

By 27 May, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture had registered the destruction of 29 museums, 133 churches, 66 theatres and libraries as well as a centuries-old Jewish cemetery.

Backup Ukraine is the first time cultural sites have been captured using AR technology. According to Iain Thomas, Creative Director at Virtue Worldwide, this is a potential breakthrough for this technology as a precedent for the protection of cultural artefacts. The hope is that the technology will also help other countries experiencing conflicts or wars to scan and digitally record monuments, statues, sculptures, as well as personal items and objects.

Sources: Mixed