Documenting Built Heritage in War Zones: Experiences and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Lecture delivered on 7 May 2026 at the Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara (Via Ghiara 36, Ferrara, Italy), as part of the Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026. It presents first-hand experience of documenting cultural heritage during armed conflict in Ukraine. It addresses the methods used for rapid and safe 3D documentation under wartime conditions, the ethical questions raised by working in conflict zones, and the value of 3D records for collective memory, justice and future reconstruction. Drawing on the field activity of the Pixelated Realities NGO, the talk illustrates how photogrammetry and related techniques are deployed to capture endangered monuments and sites before or after damage, and how the resulting datasets support documentation, restoration planning and public awareness. It reflects on the practical constraints of operating in an active conflict and on the role of international cooperation and open data in safeguarding heritage at risk.