Traces of memory. The funerary heritage of the Zdolbuniv region in digital form
The project “Traces of Memory: The Funeral Heritage of Zdolbuniv Region in Digital Form” was our civic organization's first attempt to comprehensively document and digitize the funeral culture of Zdolbuniv Region, where Ukrainians, Jews, Poles, Germans, and Czechs coexisted throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The gravestones that have been preserved in local cemeteries are important carriers of information about people, their lives, communities, and historical processes. The project aims to preserve these gravestones in digital format and make them accessible to descendants and a wide audience.
As part of the project, more than 400 gravestones in the Zdolbuniv region were fully photographed, described in text, and digitized in 3D. Each object has a description indicating the material, ornamentation, state of preservation, typology, and value in terms of preservation. A significant part of the work is devoted to the gravestones of national communities, as they allow us to trace the multi-layered historical development of the region and the interaction of cultures.
The main result of the project is a complete digital 3D database of burials, which allows tombstones to be studied with high accuracy. The 3D models reproduce the relief, texture of the stone, remnants of inscriptions, and decorative elements. This format guarantees the preservation of information even in the event of the destruction of the original object. All models are hosted on the open platform MuseumDigital and integrated into the online catalog of the NGO Center for Sustainable Initiatives below.
One of the projects was a complete digital description of the Jewish cemetery in Zdolbuniv. All preserved matzevot were documented and recreated in the form of 3D models. This is extremely valuable information, as the gravestones preserve names, symbols, and phrases, which in many cases are the last evidence of the existence of individual families and communities.
CATALOG OF DIGITIZED MONUMENTS
All gravestones dating back to 1960 have been documented at the cemetery in Vilas. Some of them are in poor condition: destroyed bases, erased inscriptions, mechanical damage. Some models require technical refinement, so they will be published after repeated fieldwork in the spring. Despite this, the collected materials already allow us to reconstruct the history of many families and local communities.
Cemetery
Vili
Jewish
cemetery
Each site has been assigned GPS coordinates and linked to a specific sector. This allows us to create an accurate digital map of the cemeteries in the Zdolbuniv region — a tool that will serve as the foundation for a future interactive online burial search system. Such a map will have both a research and memorial function, which is especially important for future generations. In addition, each object has additional photographs, text descriptions, transcriptions of inscriptions, translations, symbol recordings, short biographical notes, and mapping. These documents will form the basis for scientific research, museum exhibitions, educational programs, and genealogical work by families.
In many cases, a gravestone is the only source of information about a person. Many family archives were lost during wars, deportations, and Soviet repressions. Therefore, recording gravestone inscriptions, symbols, and dates allows us to restore family lines and preserve the memory of those whose names might otherwise be lost forever. The project also helps to understand the multicultural nature of the Zdolbuniv region and shows the interaction of different traditions within one region.
The cultural and artistic value of gravestones
Gravestone sculptures, stone obelisks, matzevot, Catholic steles, and wooden “huts” are unique examples of folk and professional art. They contain symbols, decorative motifs, fonts, and designs that reflect the religious beliefs, social status, worldview, and local artistic traditions of various communities in Volhynia. Preserving these monuments in digital format not only allows us to study history, but also opens new horizons for art history.
The project “Traces of Memory: The Funeral Heritage of Zdolbuniv Region in Digital Form” is supported by the European Union through the House of Europe program.