A portion of Odessa's catacombs, specifically the quarries of Moldavanka, has been digitized by the team from the public organization "Archaika" and experts from the Odessa Archaeological Museum. This was reported by the organization on Instagram.
According to the NGO, which is dedicated to digitizing Odessa's catacombs, they implemented the project to make this historical landmark more accessible to a wider audience.
From the entire stretch of the catacombs, they chose the section of the Moldavanka quarries, which is the most well-known part of Odessa's underground network. These quarries extend 15-25 meters below the streets of Rozumovskaya, Komitetskaya, Stepova, Melnytska, and Balkivska.
"These rooms are located about a 20-minute leisurely walk underground — and total darkness reigns there," says "Archaika."
They mentioned that the real challenge for scanning was the lack of any lighting, so they used the color cad method to accurately capture the shades of the catacombs.
The team spent approximately 5 hours conducting laser scanning and photogrammetry. They managed to capture over 1000 photos for texture creation and more than 30 laser scans to accurately reflect the geometric shapes of the catacombs. Post-processing took several days.
According to the team, digitizing Odessa's catacombs will help monitor the condition of this historical site.
The Odessa catacombs are a system of underground passages and labyrinths beneath the city of Odessa, stretching over 2,500 kilometers, making it one of the largest underground labyrinths in the world. It features avenues, streets, squares, underground lakes, karst caves, and a complex network of tunnels.
The complex was formed as a result of underground limestone mining, which began in the 1830s for urban construction.
