ST. PETERSBURG, April 2. /TASS/. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lauded Russia's plan to rebuild the destroyed triumphal arch of the ancient city of Palmyra (Syria), Andrey Polyakov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the Institute for the History of Material Culture (IHMC RAS), said in an interview with TASS.

"A reconstruction project for the arch was drawn up, with experts from UNESCO reviewing it. UNESCO recognized that this project is probably one of the best in the world today in responding to such catastrophic situations," Polyakov told TASS.

He clarified that a decision had already been made to carry out the physical reconstruction of the arch according to the Russian project, but the change of political regime in Syria has led to the suspension of the process for now.

Polyakov said in the interview that the project in question involves "very important work on so-called post-traumatic response." Elements of the blown-up monumental arch dating back to the 3rd century AD were dismantled and scanned, and thousands of 3D models were created for each fragment. They were subsequently placed in a dedicated storage space, where they remain to this day.

Earlier, TASS reported that scientists from the IHMC RAS are preparing an expedition to North Africa, including Namibia and Ethiopia, aimed at preserving historical and cultural heritage.

Works of the IHMC RAS in Palmyra

The Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) has become one of Russia’s leading organizations in the application of digital methods for the preservation of archaeological heritage.

Its most large-scale project in this field is the creation of the most complete and accurate digital model of ancient Palmyra (Syria), one of the richest cities of late antiquity, located in an oasis of the Syrian desert between Damascus and the Euphrates.

To create this digital model, scientists conducted detailed photographic documentation of the monument’s current state during an expedition in Syria. The 3D digital model of Palmyra was handed over to the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums of Syria and UNESCO for further work on the preservation and restoration of the World Heritage site.