Beglov praised the work of the Rescue Archaeology Center

St. Petersburg scientists presented a project to digitalize monuments in Africa and the Islamic world. The presentation took place during the XI St. Petersburg‑St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.

Director of the Center for Rescue Archaeology at the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (CSA IIMK RAS) Natalia Solovyova noted that digital technologies used to preserve cultural heritage sites make it possible to solve the problems of collecting objective data.

"This is especially important right now, because absolutely all heritage sites carry an element of risk. And the threats to them are very diverse: these include natural disasters — let's recall the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, economic development of territories, military conflicts, terrorism and disasters. Today, more than 211,000 monuments are under threat in the Middle East and North Africa alone. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, deliberate destruction of monuments occurs most often," Solovyova noted. According to her, "the guarantee of memory preservation is not even its physical preservation, but digital documentation, which cannot be rewritten or destroyed."

To date, the center has held several online meetings with representatives of African countries and is working on the preparation of memorandums of cooperation.

As Governor Alexander Beglov noted, the authority and experience of the Center for Rescue Archaeology of the IIMK RAS in this area cannot be overestimated. "The restoration project of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Arc de Triomphe in Palmyra, Syria, is one of the largest restoration projects in the world. The Rescue Archaeology Center has been implementing it since the beginning of 2022. They built the world's most accurate digital model of the entire ancient city with a total area of 21 square kilometers. The restoration project of the arch has been agreed with UNESCO," he said.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.