--- title: "Ukraine Is 3D Scanning Its Precious Artifacts Before Russia Destroys Them" description: "Scanning Culture Ukrainians are using state-of-the-art 3D modeling technologies on their smartphones to preserve cultural heritage sites — before they risk being destroyed by Russian troops. It’s a grim use of the technology that could turn statues and other public spaces into ephemeral, albeit digital, memorials to a country currently being turned into rubble. The […]" date: "2022-04-11" modified: "2022-04-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ukraine-3d-scanning-artifacts-russia" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "3d Mapping" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Ukraine Is 3D Scanning Its Precious Artifacts Before Russia Destroys Them ![Ukrainians are using state-of-the-art 3D modeling technologies on their smartphones to preserve cultural heritage sites — before being destroyed by Russia.]() *\Image: Poly\* ## Scanning Culture People in Ukraine are using 3D modeling tech to preserve cultural heritage sites — before they risk being destroyed by the Russian invasion. It's a bleak use of the tech, making digital backups of statues and other public important artifacts that could soon be turned into piles of rubble. The project, called [Backup Ukraine](), was organized by smartphone camera capture app Polycam, which partnered with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Vice Media Group, Danish non-profit Blue Shield Danmark, Ukraine’s Heritage Emergency Rescue Initiative, and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. "Destroying a country’s cultural heritage is the fastest way to erase their national identity," the project's website reads. "In light of Russia’s false denial of Ukrainian sovereign and unique national identity, we take the destruction of the country’s history extremely seriously." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXWD76b5IBw ## Digital Preservation The goal is to scan pretty much anything of cultural value. The company is actively looking for volunteers who can use their smartphones and the Polycam app — now free to use in Ukraine — to turn practically anything into three dimensional reconstructions. "We want to put this new technology in the hands of the citizens of Ukraine so that they may capture anything and everything that they deem culturally significant to preserve forever in 3D," the website reads. Polycam has agreed to provide hosting for all scans for at least the next five years, which can all be viewed [here](). So far, local citizens have scanned a variety of objects, from [Russian tanks]() to simple [Jenga block towers](). Given the obvious dangers to walking the streets of Ukraine right now, the company advises participants to "Stay safe at all times!" adding an admonition to "Respect curfews and do not attempt capture in areas of immediate conflict." The invasion makes for a depressing state of affairs, but at least residents are finding innovative ways to hold on to their shared history, even if only as fleeting digital representations of what once was. **More on Ukraine**: *[Ukraine Says Idiot Russian Soldiers Tracked Radiative Material All Over Chernobyl, Then Abandoned It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()