Documenting and preserving Ukraine’s architectural treasures

Miquel Reina Ortiz, an assistant professor at Université de Montréal's School of Architecture, was part of an international mission last August to help safeguard Ukraine's heritage buildings during war emergencies like the ongoing war with Russia.

The Emergency Response for World Heritage and Cultural Property: Damage Assessment and Protection project is being carried out by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

As part of the $1-million Support for Ukraine in Culture and Education through UNESCO program, funded by the government of Japan, Reina Ortiz contributed his expertise in digital documentation to record the physical characteristics of structures and landscapes in Ukraine.

The goal? To help in their "preventive maintenance" so that they be best preserved. The documentation will be used to develop safety procedures for emergencies such as floods, fires and war, the most urgent threat in Ukraine today.

"We collect precise data on architectural spaces, the natural environment and surrounding elements, and then assess whether, for example, an alarm or irrigation system is required," said Reina Ortiz.

Focusing on a cathedral

The project began during the summer with the Saint Sophia Cathedral complex in Kyiv, Ukrain'e capital. The cathedral is a unique early 11th century masterpiece of architecture and monumental art that boasts the largest collection of mosaics and frescoes from that period.

In his documentation work, Reina Ortiz focused on the complex's House of the Metropolitan and the Bell Tower. He also travelled to Lviv, in western Ukraine, to study wooden churches in the region near the Polish border that exemplify the fusion of Byzantine and Latin cultures.

Reina Ortiz uses a variety of techniques to document the current state of UNESCO World Heritage sites. For example, he used laser scanning and terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry to produce panoramic, three-dimensional images.

'A wide range of expertise'

In addition to Reina Ortiz, the team included experts in advanced documentation techniques and disaster risk management from Turkey, Canada and Portugal. They also met with local experts and Ukrainian heritage professionals.

"What has really stayed with me from these visits is the encounters with colleagues with a wide range of expertise," Reina Ortiz said. "I also learned a good deal about conservation and risk management in a war zone. Many of our Ukrainian colleagues shared their concerns about the future of their country."

It has now been nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. During his visit, Reina Ortiz experienced missile and drone alerts and had to take cover but he didn't see any destroyed buildings in the centre of Kyiv or in Lviv.

"I felt safe at all times when traveling with the UNESCO/ICOMOS team," he related. "But in times of war, it is very important to have a preparedness plan to protect buildings that are part of the world's heritage."