Solutions from Ukraine: Ukrainian experts digitize mass graves in Izium to maintain evidence of Russian atrocities

Ukrainian experts have created detailed digital copies of tragic sites in the Kharkiv region: the mass grave site near Izium, the police station where local residents were tortured, and the destroyed village of Kamianka in the Izium district. The digitization was carried out by the Lviv-based Skeiron studio at the initiative and with funding from the American Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

What is the problem?

In March 2022, following intense fighting, the city of Izium and nearby villages fell under Russian control and remained occupied for over five months. On September 10, they were liberated during the Slobozhanska counteroffensive, and efforts have since begun to document war crimes that were committed in these areas. As part of this effort, mass graves were found in a pine forest near Izium containing the bodies of 449 individuals who had been subject to violent deaths and showed signs of torture.

What is the solution?

Skeiron created a precise digital model of a mass grave located in a pine forest near Izium, where the bodies of 449 people who died violent deaths and bore signs of torture were found. They also documented a police station in Izium where Russians detained and tortured local residents and Ukrainian soldiers: capturing the exterior of the building, main entrance, corridors, and cells where people were held. While working in the village of Kamianka, which was almost entirely destroyed by fighting, specialists documented the streets and remaining buildings with a scanner and then used a drone due to grab aerial footage to reduce the risk of encountering landmines.

Skeiron's team of specialists worked in the Izium district for a week, using scanners, drones, and cameras for photogrammetry. Material processing to create the digital models took another two months. The files are now publicly available on the Sketchfab platform.

How does it work? 

Thanks to the digital models created by the Lviv studio, historians, archaeologists, and war crime researchers will be able to use the files for detailed study, analysis, and reconstruction of events. The project will allow the documentation of Russia's latest crimes against Ukraine and draw international attention to ensure those responsible are held accountable.

For reference:

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, established in 1999, is a U.S. private family foundation working to improve food security, mitigate conflict, combat human trafficking, and enhance public safety. The Foundation has committed over $800 million to Ukraine since the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022 to address the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. The Foundation's support has been instrumental to sustaining Ukraine's agricultural sector, building Ukraine's capacity for demining, and rebuilding strategic infrastructure.

Skeiron has been operating in Ukraine since 2016 and has digitized over 250 historical buildings in Ukraine and more than 350 museum collection exhibits. The need to preserve Ukraine's architectural heritage became particularly urgent with the start of the full-scale invasion, as unique structures that are important symbols of cities and the nation are at daily risk of being lost due to russian aggression. To preserve this heritage digitally and to accurately recreate it in the event of damage, architects and engineers launched the #SaveUkrainianHeritage project in March 2022.