Launch of the pilot project "Electronic Accounting for Cultural Heritage Sites"

The Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the NAS of Ukraine announced the launch of the pilot project "Electronic accounting of monuments", which is implemented in accordance with the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of May 22, 2019 № 374-p heritage. The pilot project will be implemented on the basis of the Vinnytsia region with the purpose of practical elaboration of the necessary and important aspects of filling and functioning of the electronic platform with its subsequent implementation at the national level.

The key speakers at the presentation of the project, which took place on June 18 at the Press Center of the Ministry of Culture, were the Minister of Culture E.M. Nishchuk, Vice-President of NAS of Ukraine Academician of NAS of Ukraine SI Pyrozhkov, Honorary Director of the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine Academician of the NAS of Ukraine LG Rudenko, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Arts of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration Troyan, Deputy Head of the Cultural Heritage Protection Department Yu.V. Nechiporenko.

The Minister of Culture of Ukraine Yevhen Nishchuk in his welcoming speech emphasized that the preservation of cultural heritage affirms the continuity of ancient values ​​and traditions. The implementation of the pilot project is another important step towards not only the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage, but also the widespread presentation of it at a modern information level.

“The pilot project gives us the opportunity to put into practice a number of important aspects of filling and operating such a modern resource. I am pleased that we are moving in a European and global dimension, in the very circle of issues that reflect the uniqueness and rich culture of our people. We are a young country, but with a millennial history, and the monuments we have, give us great meaning and awareness of our glorious historical roots, ”the Minister said.

Yevgeny Nishchuk thanked the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine for the consolidation of efforts and scientific support for the development of national infrastructure of geospatial data in the field of cultural heritage. Minister Nishchuk also noted that this work was an important step in the development of bilateral cooperation, outlined in the Memorandum of Cooperation between the NAS of Ukraine and the Ministry, signed on June 27, 2018 by the President of the NAS of Ukraine, NAS of Ukraine B.E. Paton, and the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, E.M. Nishuchom.

The importance and relevance of the pilot project was noted by Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Serhiy Pyrozhkov. In his speech, he noted that in the centuries-old history of Ukraine the historical and cultural heritage is a spiritual, economic and social capital of extremely high value, which is the main component of national self-esteem and corresponding representation of our country at the international level. However, it is almost impossible to preserve and enhance cultural heritage without a broad presentation of it at a modern information level.

The Honorary Director of the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine, Academician Leonid Rudenko, noted that the Ministry of Culture is the first ministry in Ukraine to start electronic registration of all objects of cultural heritage. "The Ministry of Culture is making a pilot project that will allow us to see the end result, the first in importance in our country, because all cultural heritage is subject not only to registration, but also to protection and restoration," said Leonid Grigorovich. This project will be a demonstration of fruitful collaboration between science, management, business and the public. One of the results of such cooperation should be the Atlas "Population of Ukraine and its Cultural and Natural Heritage" - a fundamental complex electronic cartographic work of scientific and reference character, developed by the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine.

Valentina Troyan, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Arts of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration, said that the community understands the responsibility and seriousness of the project. She thanked for the opportunity given to indifferent citizens and public organizations to receive prompt and timely information through the register. Ms. Valentina also expressed her hope that the electronic register would facilitate the work on preventing the destruction of cultural objects.

In her presentation, Yulia Nechiporenko, Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection, said that the issue of digitization of cultural heritage was repeatedly raised at different levels, and appropriate decisions were made, but no success was achieved. The current activities of the Ministry of Culture in this area are under public scrutiny and often cause dissatisfaction due to the length of the process.

At the same time, the formation of the national infrastructure of cultural heritage data is an extremely difficult process, at least given that most cultural heritage sites do not contain geospatial coordinates, detailed information on the essential characteristics, does not reflect the real status of the monuments, monitoring information. and restoration processes, there are no uniform accounting standards.

It is also of utmost importance to enable the exchange of cultural heritage data between actors at different levels, including foreign information systems, in accordance with established international standards.

The speakers of the project presentation answered a series of questions asked by media representatives.

The implementation of the pilot project of cultural heritage objects is not the beginning of the digitization of cultural heritage, but another step that the Ministry of Culture and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine are taking in this direction, an endorsement of the significant achievements that have taken place over the years.