On Elarskana will digitize collections of memorial estate "The Taurian Chersonese"

2020: Acquisition of Elarskan

On Elarskan will digitize collections of memorial estate "The Taurian Chersonese". Elar reported about it on January 20, 2021.

Scanning complex Elarskan A0 will allow to digitize the most different exhibits of the museum, - from pre-revolutionary schemes and plans of excavation of the ancient city to early Christian frescos, weighing more than 30 kg.

The state memorial estate "The Taurian Chersonese" represents the research and cultural and educational center in which structure in addition to the main services there are own research departments, scientific archive and library, restoration workshops, exhibition and publishing sectors.

During long-term activity in the museum the rich archive which materials are actively used in exhibition and educational activity of the museum was created, are published in scientific articles, in mass media, used by production of educational films and series, are attracted by preparation of online publications. The museum notes that development of this direction directly depends on the organization of work on digitization of archive. With acquisition of this scanner the beginning will be received also by work on digitization of large-sized materials which were complex to be used earlier.

Elarskan is purchased for digitization of fund of the graphic, cartographic and illustrative materials of a big format (A0+) which are stored in scientific archives department of memorial estate, - the manager of scientific archives department of the State memorial estate "The Taurian Chersonese" Tatyana Aleksandrovna Prokhorova tells. - Among them: maps, plans of excavations, different drawings, drawings of archeological finds, schemes and plans of the territory of the ancient settlement and also other documents which format fluctuates ranging from A4 to A0+. Using Elarskan we expect to receive the high-quality scan copy with the most exact and reliable color rendition.

Besides, according to the staff of memorial estate, technical characteristics of model were the defining factor when choosing the ELAR scanner, namely: the weight which can sustain a cradle, – up to 50 kg. It will allow to scan also such important objects as early Christian frescos. For January, 2021 after a complex of restoration works they are postponed for a relevant basis, and their weight together with it exceeds 30 kg.

The museum tells that first of all it is going to digitize drawing fund of the pre-revolutionary period. The total amount of a collection of drawings is more than 10 thousand units, from them 214 drawings belong to the period from 1844 to 1917.

among priorities the management of archive sees digitization of a collection estampazhy – paper "prints" of epigrafichesky monuments and reliefs which number makes more than 500 units, - Tatyana Aleksandrovna Prokhorova says. - The scanner will allow to digitize also books from scientific library of memorial estate in which funds there are large-sized originals – albums with plans and drawings, lithographs and tables. The minimum format of book originals – A2. These books also have the high historical and cultural value as were published in the 19th century and nowadays are a rare book.

The collection of estampazhy belongs by the time of management by excavation and the museum in Chersonese of Karl Kazimirovich Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich (1847−1907). The technology which was used by K.K. Kostsyushko consisted in use of the paper impregnated with wax which was imposed on a monument, and plotting of all texts on it. Estampazh it was used in the scientific purposes (at the end of the 19th century in the conditions of lack of high-quality photos it was the only way as much as possible to detail a text for further studying). Many estampazh represent monuments which originals were lost in different years (mainly during the Second World War), and therefore are insurance copies of the lost monuments.

The received electronic copies are going to be used in multi-profile activity of the museum, - Tatyana Aleksandrovna Prokhorova tells. - First of all, the scan copy will be used as electronic fund of use for the purpose of removal from archive turnover of originals of documents. The permanent address of researchers to them leads to fast exhaustion of the material (paper) carrier and to fading of the placed information. After digitization and measures for preservation of the document conditions of phase storage will be created to all scanned materials, and instead of them digital copies will be issued to researchers. High quality electronic the scan copies will allow to use them in publishing, exhibition, educational activity of the museum, including for implementation of the most courageous and ambitious projects. The electronic base of the museum will be regularly replenished with digital insurance copies of materials, creating the basic file resource necessary for further work and preserving of the available materials.