The Inscriptions of Saint Sophia in Kyiv: Participatory and research grounded approaches to data collection during war

A groundbreaking approach to heritage preservation during wartime demonstrates that participatory methodologies can effectively safeguard endangered cultural data. Researchers from Sweden developed stakeholder-driven strategies, including interviews and workshops, to digitize over 7,000 inscriptions in Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral—a site vulnerable to Russian aggression despite not being directly targeted. By bridging technical expertise with local heritage knowledge, the project trained museum personnel to independently conduct high-quality documentation, ensuring sustainable preservation without relying on external dependencies. This model challenges traditional assumptions about digitization as a definitive process and highlights the critical role of inclusive practices in crisis scenarios.

Westin, J., & Almevik, G. (2026). The Inscriptions of Saint Sophia in Kyiv: Participatory and research grounded approaches to data collection during war. Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic Countries Publications, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.5617/dhnbpub.13007