Swedish scientists create 3D models of Cossack boats

In Zaporizhzhia, Swedish scientists are developing 3D models of Cossack gulls. In this way, scientists will be able to preserve Ukrainian monuments if they are damaged by another Russian missile attack.

Swedish researchers together with employees of the national reserve “Khortytsia” are creating electronic copies of Cossack boats. It is physically impossible to move the exhibits to a safe place, so scientists take thousands of photos, which will then be converted into a 3D model. This is reported by “Ukrinform”.

First, the scientists work in the hangar where the ships are stored, and then they process the data in Sweden. Researchers use two different ways of documenting and then combine them to create the best model of the courts. This data can then be used to create a virtual display and to further explore the boats.

Swedish scientists came to Zaporizhzhia on a volunteer basis. The project to digitize the exhibits was discussed long before the start of the full-scale invasion, and was constantly postponed due to one or another circumstances. When the great war began, Swedish scientists realized that they had to hurry.

“It was useful for us, because we in Sweden also faced the question of how to protect our cultural heritage from the same “neighbor”. At first, there were only theoretical considerations, because we had no idea how things could actually happen. But thanks to the experience shared by our Ukrainian colleagues, we got a more accurate understanding of what we should do to protect our cultural monuments,” says Fred Hawker, scientific director of the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.

In the future, new digitization methods can be used to create 3D models not only of ships, but also of other objects in Khortytsia.