The multi-award winning project by Virtue will help Ukraine preserve its cultural heritage, even if cultural artifacts are destroyed.

Backup Ukraine is a partnership between VICE Media Group’s Virtue, the Blue Shield Denmark and the Danish UNESCO National Commission. It asks volunteers to use an app to scan objects in Ukraine. The scans are then turned into a 3D model and uploaded into a cloud where they can be backed up far away from Russia’s bombs.




The uploads have already begun and 3D scans of cultural objects from Ukraine are already available online. There are scans of sculpturesbedrooms, and sleeping dogs. Each scan is a tiny act of resistance, a moment in time preserved in digital amber and safe from Russian aggression.

The destruction of cultural artifacts during war is a major problem. Beyond adding to the misery and sense of loss, this destruction is damaging to our global cultural history. It’s also a tool of war. As the Islamic State spread throughout the Middle East, it prioritized the destruction of ancient artifacts. During World War II, the Nazis stole or destroyed as much art as they could. It was such a problem that the allies started a special unit of scholars and soldiers to preserve cultural artifacts.

Modern wars call for modern methods of preservation, and Backup Ukraine is a chance for anyone on the ground to save a little piece of their culture.

This article was originally published in Vice.