Because of the war, Ukrainians decided to use 3D technology to protect cultural sites and heritage before Russian attacks destroyed them and turned everything into rubble.

“Destroying a country’s cultural heritage is the fastest way to erase its national identity,” says the Backup Ukraine project website. “We take the destruction of the country’s history extremely seriously.”

The proposed task is to scan for anything of cultural value. For this, the organizers invite volunteers to be part of the task force.

How does it work

Capturing objects is handled by a mobile app called Polycam, which is currently free in Ukraine.

One should use the camera app and position the phone at several different angles so the images together turn into 3D – the program does this automatically.

A YouTube video shows part of this process. Throughout the scenes, the effects of the destruction of cultural heritage on the country are well highlighted.

Despite inviting volunteers, the project reinforces the need for everyone to stay safe. So, avoid going out in areas of greater risk. “Respect the curfew and don’t try to capture areas of immediate conflict,” he says.

An application is required to request written permission from the authorities to be involved in the project.

What can be scanned?

The guideline is that everything is important to preserve Ukraine’s history: “Multi-textured materials work very well – things like sculptures, murals, and artwork. Glossy, transparent surfaces are harder for the reconstruction algorithm. You can also provide a historical image by scanning the prisoners’ locations. . living in shelters,” the website says.

Polycam said it will provide hosting for all footage captured for at least the next five years. All previously taken pictures are available here.

In the link, it is possible to see some monuments, destroyed cars and tanks, as well as the wreckage of the houses.

Anyone with flying drone experience can use the app to scan larger buildings.

The initiative is supported by UNESCO, the media company Vice, the Danish non-profit Blue Shield Danmark, the Ukrainian Heritage Emergency Rescue Initiative and the National Museum of History of Ukraine.

Check out some images saved in the database:

*With information from the Futurism website