WHAT IS THIS PROJECT ABOUT?
The goal of the DIGITAL HERITAGE project is to examine the current state of the digital heritage field in Ukraine and identify its achievements and challenges in development from the 1990s to the 2020s.
The project aims to facilitate the creation of recommendations for the application of digital technologies in the sphere of Ukraine's cultural heritage.
WHAT ARE WE INVESTIGATING?
Our research focuses on digital heritage initiatives and projects in Ukraine that have been developed over the past 30 years. These projects utilize diverse standards and approaches to working with heritage and have been created by state and public institutions, academic centers, local communities, and independent researchers.
The thematic focus of the digital projects under study includes:
- tangible heritage: architecture, urban development, industrial heritage, monuments, memorials, landmarks, as well as museum, archival, and library objects, etc.;
- intangible heritage: urban celebrations, festivals, customs, languages, street art, cuisine traditions, and more.
HOW ARE WE DOING IT?
The DIGITAL HERITAGE team collects and publishes interviews with initiators, leaders, and participants of digital heritage projects in Ukraine. The focus is on both successful examples and those that encountered challenges or failures. The interviews are conducted online in compliance with academic standards.
To systematize the digital projects under study, the DIGITAL HERITAGE team is creating a database using the Omeka web platform.
Projects included in the database meet the following criteria:
- were created between the 1990s and 2020s;
- employ digital technologies to engage with Ukraine’s heritage;
- foster cultural dialogue and mutual cultural enrichment;
- have information available online.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Between the 1990s and 2020s, hundreds of digital heritage initiatives and projects were implemented in Ukraine. The full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine has led to a heightened interest in the use of digital technologies for heritage preservation. In July 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine announced the creation of a new cultural heritage ecosystem, which involves the active integration of various digital technologies.
Despite some achievements, the digital heritage sector in Ukraine faces numerous challenges, including legislative, organizational, financial, staffing, technical, and methodological issues, among others. Key tasks today include assessing the current state of this sector, analyzing the effectiveness of existing digital projects, and developing a long-term strategy for the preservation of digital heritage. It is crucial to develop clear recommendations and disseminate the best global practices and knowledge for working with digital heritage in Ukraine.
