The Lviv studio Skeiron has created digital copies of the graves in Kharkiv region. The project was realized with the initiative and funding from the American Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
The specialists digitized mass graves in a pine forest near Izyum, where the bodies of 449 people were discovered. They also recreated the police station where Russians tortured local residents and Ukrainian soldiers. The digital models include views of the building from the outside, the central entrance, corridors, and the cells where people were held. The Skeiron team also documented streets and surviving buildings in the nearly destroyed village of Kamyanka. Aerial photographs were taken with a drone because working on the ground was dangerous due to dense landmines.
Skeiron worked in the Izyum district for a week, using scanners, drones, and cameras for photogrammetry. Processing the material to create the digital models took two months. The files are available for public access on the Sketchfab platform.
The mass graves near Izyum are a tragic testimony to the deaths of 449 people, mostly civilians, including children, as well as Ukrainian soldiers. Most of the deceased died violent deaths from artillery fire, landmine explosions, and airstrikes. Many bodies showed signs of torture, broken limbs, gunshot wounds, and amputated genitalia. This is evidence of the aggression committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people.
Link to digital model of mass graves
The police station in Izyum was a site where Russian forces tortured people. It holds grim stories of those who survived the torture and abuse. Russian troops intimidated and tortured both military personnel and civilians. Testimonies from victims confirm the scale of the violence.
Link to digital model of the police station
The village of Kamyanka is an example of how war can destroy an entire settlement, leaving only ruins and memories. A large part of the village is still heavily mined, with many so-called 'petals,' so the digitization of this site was mostly done with a drone. It is important to preserve the memory of this place to honor those who lived there and to convey their story to the world.
Link to digital model of Kamyanka
In March 2022, the city of Izyum and surrounding villages were occupied by Russian forces and remained under occupation for over five months. The area was liberated on September 10 as part of the Slobozhansky offensive.
Images and photos by Skeiron studion.
