Ukraine Digitization Project
Preserving Ukrainian History
DT Heritage
Preserving Ukrainian History
Since February 2022, the world has watched with dismay as the horror of full-scale war has unfolded in Ukraine, causing geopolitical turmoil across Eastern Europe and beyond. In addition to the tragic loss of life and resources, the cultural record of the Ukrainian people has been put at extreme risk, with many artifacts tragically already destroyed or stolen. Digital Transitions is helping to mitigate this damage by partnering with local cultural authorities and institutions to deliver digitization equipment, share expertise, and provide training to digitally capture and preserve Ukraine’s valuable historical record.
As this project moves forward, we will provide updates, images, and video of the progress being made and the state of Ukraine’s cultural heritage preservation during this unprecedented time. Download our press releases for the latest details, and check out our Ukraine Project Image Gallery below.
The Lavra
Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is an Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery that was founded in 1051. Now one of the largest museums in Kyiv, its historic collection within the churches and caves includes articles of precious metal, prints, higher clergy portraits and rare church hierarchy photographs
When Russia invaded Ukraine, this collection was immediately put in jeopardy, with tanks and military skirmishes immediately outside the museum’s gates.
DT partnered in early 2023 to provide hardware, support and in-person training to digitize the collection in order to ensure it was accurately preserved in case there was loss or damage to the priceless artifacts.
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July 2023: Delivery & Installation
In July we completed the first phase of our pro bono commitment to protect the Ukrainian cultural record by delivering a Digital Transitions DT Atom digitization system to the National Reserve – Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and concluding the training for museum staff on its use. The goal of this project is to digitally preserve the irreplaceable icons, engravings, bound materials, and flat art pieces for future generations.
While this was only the first step in a months-long process, this crucial milestone will allow the Lavra to further establish their permanent digital archive of its collection, while the equipment, training and knowledge being shared showcases the dedication of all involved to protect Ukraine’s history from potential destruction.
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July 2023: Training
After the DT Atom was installed, we sent our talented and knowledgeable staff to the Lavra to personally train and demonstrate the operation of the system, with detailed instruction on not just best practices, but also specific digitization techniques for the Lavra’s unique collection.
Our goal is to provide more than a piece of hardware to Ukraine. By providing knowledge that can be shared by colleagues and partners throughout the Ukrainian CH community, we aspire to improve the digitization efforts of the entire region, leading to a safe historical record of the nation.
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August 2023: Work Begins
Time is critical to preserving Ukraine’s cultural record as the war continues to rage on, so no time was wasted in beginning the process of digitizing the Lavra’s historical collection.
As you can see in the gallery to the right, these the incredible art and artifacts at the Lavra were digitized by their collections experts at a level of quality and resolution not previously possible.
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October 2023: Ukrainian Cultural Foundation Webinar Series
DT collaborated with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation to present a series of webinars on digitization for cultural heritage to their Ukrainian constituency.
Through these online events, DT and the UCF brought new ideas, techniques, and training to Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage community, providing valuable information, as well as ongoing conversations across physical and linguistic barriers.
Topics
- Introductory Panel
- Funding Opportunities for Digital Preservation Efforts
Watch the full presentation (in English & Ukrainian) - Specifications & Standards for Cultural Heritage Digitization
Watch the full presentation (in English & Ukrainian) - Digitization Equipment & Workflows Demonstration
Watch the full presentation (in English & Ukrainian) - Concluding panel discussion & Q&A
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November 2023: The Lavra Presents at DT’s 2023 Round Table
DT’s annual Cultural Heritage Round Table has become an important nexus for sharing information, as well as bringing leaders in cultural heritage together.
This year we were honored to have Iryna Martyniuk, Chief Keeper of Collections of the Lavra, come all the way to San Francisco to speak in-person to our audience about the struggles to preserve cultural heritage material during an active war.
This powerful and moving presentation can be watched in its entirety on our 2023 Round Table Video Page.
Ukraine Project Media Links
- Helping Preserve Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage
- Cultural Heritage in Ukraine: Inside the Race to Safeguard the Irreplaceable
- Press Release: “Ukraine Historical Artifacts Preserved Digitally with Digital Transitions”
- Live Press Event from Kyiv as Ukrainian Preservation Initiative Launched
- Press Release: “Ukraine Digital Preservation Project in Progress with Digital Transitions”
- Digitization of funds and evacuation of collections. How does the reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” work in war conditions
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December 2023: Webinar Series with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation
DT collaborated with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation to present a series of webinars on digitization for cultural heritage to their Ukrainian constituency.
Through these online events, DT and the UCF brought new ideas, techniques, and training to Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage community, providing valuable information, as well as ongoing conversations across physical and linguistic barriers.
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January 2024: Expanding Our Efforts in Ukraine
With the Lavra’s digitization project complete, we have identified the next Ukrainian Cultural Heritage location and are now working on continuing to preserve the nation’s valuable cultural and historical record. We will be adding more images and updates to this page as the project progresses. Stay tuned!
Celebrating 20 Years of Digitization Excellence - 2003-2023
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