At the core of Russia’s war propaganda is the lie that Ukraine doesn’t have a real national identity. At the same time, there are countless reports of cultural sites destroyed, ranging from 53 (Unesco) to 191 (Smithsonian).

And according to BLUE SHIELD (the “red cross for culture”), destroying a country’s cultural heritage is the FASTEST way to erase its national identity.

So preserving the country’s heritage isn’t just about helping museums.

It’s about a people — and their right to exist.

IDEA Destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage is nearly inevitable — no matter how many sandbags we wrap them in. So how do we make sure that they aren’t lost forever?

By making a digital backup in the cloud — where no bombs can reach.

For the first time in history, UNESCO gave every citizen the power to create high-definition 3D models — and all they needed was their phones.

We saved the data as blueprints at museum-level standards in a secure cloud archive.

So if they’re ever destroyed, Ukraine's cultural treasures can be rebuilt down to the last detail.

EXECUTION We partnered with 3D startup POLYCAM to customize and apply their photogrammetry algorithm for Backup Ukraine.

It uses machine learning to convert camera and location data to high-definition 3D digital blueprints, letting everyone in Ukraine capture any place or monument in a matter of MINUTES — at a level that used to be reserved for film studios and professionals with expensive equipment.

We partnered with the cultural authorities in Kyiv to coordinate volunteers and onboard local museums.

We teamed up with local NGOs, helping them secure UN funding to sponsor focused local captures on a city-by-city basis.

We worked closely with archival experts from museums and Blue Shield to ensure that data was saved at museum-level standards of openness and security, committing to keeping the data in cold storage for 5 full years after the war and letting partners export to 10+ 3D formats.

The project is still developing, testing out options for 3D printing replicas of destroyed sculptures, recreating lost monuments from existing drone footage, and rolling out the solution globally.

RESULTS With 6.800 downloads and a 44% growth in heritage scanned each week,Ukrainian volunteers have backed up more sculptures than The Museum of Modern Art has collected since 1993 — everyday citizens preserving their heritage at archival standards.

Backup Ukraine secured 350+ articles and news reports in Ukrainian and international press. The story spread rapidly across social media, with 3.000+ shares and 455.000+ video views.

135 civilians signed up to join a volunteer unit coordinated by local authorities, 6 NGOs pledged their support and 5 scanning firms offered equipment, funding, and assistance on the ground.

And Unesco’s National Commissioner even went on public broadcast urging neighboring countries to start scanning their heritage — before it’s too late.