Virtual reconstruction of Moscow monasteries: projects in the context of Digital Humanities

Abstract

The paper presents a brief description of the first stage of the research project aimed at developing a virtual reconstruction of the Passion Virgin Monastery which is a unique monument of historical and cultural heritage of Moscow. The monastery was built by the Tsar’s decree in 1649. The same name was given later to the surrounding city area, which became one of the most important squares of Moscow(Strastnaya Square). The monastery was rebuilt several times in the 18th and 19th centuries. After a fire of 1812, the new Gate tower was erected. It was unique in its architectural appearance. For nearly 250 years, the area has experienced several periods of radical renovations and has changed its social role and infrastructure. In 1919, the Monastery was abolished, and in 1937 all of its buildings were demolished. Renamed in 1931, the Strastnaya area became known as Pushkin square. The actual task of preserving historical and cultural heritage of the capital city makes it necessary to create virtual reconstruction of the famous Monastery with the surrounding historical and architectural ensemble at several time slices, covering the period from the middle of the 17th century to the early 20th century. The problem is posed for the first time. An adequate tool for building virtual reconstruction of lost (or ruined) objects of historical and cultural heritage can be provided by the methods and technologies of 3D modeling which allows historians to implement complex historical sources characterizing the object of reconstruction in its evolution. There is a large array of archival materials on the history and the spatial structure of the Monastery, including drawings, plans, inventories of buildings of the Monastery, clerical documentation, photos dated 19th – early 20th  centuries, prints, etc. Those materials are mostly revealed in the Moscow Archives and the Moscow Museum of Architecture. The information potential of the revealed sources allows to construct a series of virtual reconstructions of the Passion Virgin Monastery and the historical appearance of theStrastnaya Square. The project group can be characterized as a multidisciplinary one; it includes historians, restorers, Cultural Studies researchers, IT-specialists, architects, and art historians. The research project is undertaken within the development of Digital Humanities.