Between earthquake and the Middle East: Pixelated Realities shares Ukraine’s war-zone heritage documentation experience at Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026

Pixelated Realities co-founders Iana Boitsova and Fedir Boitsov took part in last week’s Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026 in Ferrara, Italy, bringing Ukraine’s frontline experience in documenting cultural heritage in war zones to an international audience. The two-day programme, hosted at the University of Ferrara within the 3DBigDataSpace project, focused on 3D documentation methods for cultural heritage at risk in contexts ranging from natural disasters to armed conflict.

As part of the programme, Iana and Fedir delivered a talk titled “Documenting architectural heritage in war zones: experiences and lessons from Ukraine”. Drawing on several years of fieldwork, they presented approaches to the digital recording of destroyed and damaged architectural heritage in frontline and liberated regions of Ukraine. Their contribution showcased how photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning and geospatial analytics capturing is different in active warfare and attacks on civilians. Their message is clear: “obtaining high-precision data for emergency documentation on war-related destruction can support evidence-based strategies for future recovery and reconstruction”.

An important part of their presentation was dedicated to initiatives that rethink space and memory, including ongoing work on the Museum of Ukrainian Victory and other projects that connect digital heritage, education and research at an international level. Within the framework of the XRculture project, the team also shared recent results from scanning endangered museum collections in Ukraine and outlined their methodology for remote digitisation in high-risk contexts.

Reflecting on the experience, Iana Boitsova highlighted the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange:

“Taking part in this event reminds us that Ukraine is not alone in facing the loss of cultural heritage in times of crisis. Sharing our experience from war-affected regions and hearing how colleagues work with disasters and risks in other countries gave us both practical tools and a sense of solidarity. For us, the most valuable part was the open exchange with experts who are ready to share technologies, methods and standards to support institutions and communities in Ukraine right now, while also thinking together about how these data will guide future recovery.”

Participation of Pixelated Realities in initiatives such as the Heritage at Risk Summer School strengthens Ukraine’s presence in the European professional discussion on safeguarding cultural heritage during war. It also helps embed Ukrainian experience within broader international standards and practices for documenting cultural heritage at risk.
Pixelated Realities PO is a consortium partner in the XRculture project co-financed by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme. The project’s beneficiary in Ukraine is the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.