This project focused on creating a detailed 3D model of a kitchen cabinet and a ceramic rooster for the museum preservation of a historical landmark.
In April 2022, after Ukrainian cities in the Kyiv region were liberated, journalists and photographers began documenting the consequences of Russian aggression to inform the world and preserve evidence for national memory.
During this period, a photograph taken in Borodyanka showed a kitchen cabinet that had survived the destruction of a residential building. The cabinet remained attached to the wall together with the dishes inside and a ceramic rooster placed on top. It became one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukrainian resilience.
The cabinet and ceramic rooster were later transferred to the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity — Maidan Museum. However, because the building was already in a severely damaged condition, the museumification process required careful preparation and coordination.
Project objective
To support accurate future reconstruction and preservation of the landmark, it was necessary to collect detailed visual information about the cabinet and its surroundings.
The documentation needed to capture:
- The overall condition of the cabinet.
- Small structural details, including the screws holding it in place.
- The surviving wall section.
- The surrounding territory.
- Nearby damaged and destroyed buildings.
The required output was a detailed 3D mesh that could be rotated, enlarged, and examined from different angles.
Project participants
The DroneUA team joined an expedition organized by the Heritage Rescue Headquarters together with the cultural institute Between the Ears, JSC System Solutions, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
The project was carried out with the support of the Borodyanka community and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
Why photogrammetry was selected
Although several methods can be used to create 3D models, photogrammetry was selected for the photographic documentation, reconstruction, and preservation of the landmark.
This method is widely used in construction, digital documentation, surveying, replica creation, and cultural heritage preservation.
Photogrammetry is based on capturing a series of overlapping photographs from different angles. Each point on the object should appear in several images, allowing the software to calculate its position in three-dimensional space.
Thousands of such points form a digital representation of the surface, including the terrain, building elements, and individual objects. Based on this data, specialized software reconstructs the object’s geometry and generates a 3D mesh.
Creating the 3D model
The model was created using specialized photogrammetry software and cloud-based processing tools.
The workflow included:
- Capturing a detailed series of overlapping photographs.
- Uploading and organizing the captured data.
- Aligning the photographs and calculating camera positions.
- Generating a dense point cloud.
- Reconstructing the object’s surface.
- Creating the final textured 3D mesh.
Depending on the required level of detail and available computing resources, this type of processing can take approximately one to two days. The main task is to find the optimal balance between processing performance and the maximum possible model detail.
Other applications of photogrammetry
The photogrammetric method can be used for many other practical tasks. DroneUA has applied this technology across several industries and project types.
Common applications include:
- Geodesy and surveying.
- Agriculture.
- Construction monitoring.
- Infrastructure inspection.
- Game development and digital environments.
- Cultural heritage documentation.
During wartime, photogrammetry can also support the initial documentation of infrastructure damage and the digital preservation of cultural objects.
Preserving historical memory digitally
Aerial and terrestrial photography makes it possible to create accurate 3D models of territories, buildings, structures, and individual objects.
This approach captures details that may later be lost and creates a permanent digital record that can be used for research, restoration, museum exhibitions, and historical documentation.
The DroneUA specialists involved in the project were drone operator Sergey Andrushenko, who conducted the photodocumentation, and GIS specialist Gleb Lesnoy, who reconstructed the 3D model using specialized software.
