Collective Memory and Digital Culture: Skeiron’s contribution to the cultural heritage preservation in Ukraine
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2025-07-31
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en
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This thesis investigates the role of digital preservation in safeguarding Ukrainian cultural
heritage during the full-scale Russian invasion, focusing on the work of the Lviv-based
organization Skeiron. As cultural sites face destruction or inaccessibility due to ongoing conflict,
Skeiron’s 3D digitization efforts raise critical questions about the efficacy and meaning of virtual
heritage in the context of loss. Using the digitization of Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv as a
central case study, the research examines whether and how digital reproductions can serve as
adequate substitutes for materially lost artefacts and spaces. Drawing on Pierre Nora’s concept of
lieux de mémoire, Maurice Halbwachs’s theory of collective memory, and Jean Baudrillard’s
notion of simulation, the study analyzes the impact of such digital projects on memory
formation, authenticity, and public engagement. Ultimately, this thesis argues that while digital
res cannot fully replace the original material presence of heritage, they play an increasingly vital
role in preserving cultural identity, enabling mnemonic continuity, and resisting erasure in times
of war.
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