Frontline Chernihiv became the first city to be visited by the Ark III mobile digitalization laboratory, operating on the basis of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. Despite the strikes on bridges, constant air raids and shelling, representatives of the Lavra, led by Director General Maksym Ostapenko, visited the Chernihiv Ancient Reserve as part of the Ark for Ukraine project. This visit is a step towards using the capabilities of Ark III to preserve cultural heritage in different regions of Ukraine. The mobile complex allows you to create high-precision digital copies of museum objects and monuments directly where they are located. For institutions under threat of Russian attacks, this is an opportunity to record in detail the condition of cultural values and save data for their research and possible restoration. The Ark III station was transferred to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve in May of this year, and the first training on working with the equipment was held for Ukrainian specialists from various museums and reserves in Ukraine. The training continued in September: employees of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra mastered 3D scanning and photogrammetry technologies, which allow digitizing both small artifacts and large-scale architectural monuments. Ark III was created by Czech experts specifically for work in crisis conditions and regions affected by war. The complex based on the Volkswagen Crafter is equipped with modern 3D scanners and photogrammetric systems. Its mobility allows working with collections of various museums without moving the objects themselves. The Ark for Ukraine project is implemented within the framework of the international initiative “Support Ukrainian Culture”, launched by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine in cooperation with the National Museum of the Czech Republic and in partnership with the Karel Komarek Family Foundation (KKFF).
