AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY AND DIGITAL INSTRUMENTS AS AID IN DOCUMENTING ARCHITECTURAL LANDMARKS: ON THE PROJECT “HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE DONETSK REGION”

Abstract

This article examines the potential for integrating methods from auxiliary sciences of history with modern digital tools in documenting the architectural heritage of Donetsk region under conditions of war and limited access to sites in temporarily occupied territories. The study is relevant due to the extensive destruction of historical and architectural monuments, as well as the underrepresentation of rural areas in official cultural heritage registers. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the effectiveness of combining auxiliary historical methods with contemporary digital technologies for documenting, verifying, and preserving Donetsk’s architectural heritage, particularly in situations of restricted access, and to highlight practical and methodological approaches to restoring the historical and cultural landscape using the case study of the “Historical-Cultural Heritage of Donetsk Region” project, focusing on objects such as the Bantysh family estates, and urban developments in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk, and Boikivske. Methodologically, the research draws on approaches from historical geography, topography, monument studies, and concepts of historical memory, allowing architectural objects to be considered as components of the historical-cultural landscape and instruments for representing regional identity. The empirical basis comprises materials from the "Historical and cultural heritage of Donetsk Region” project, particularly the cases of the Bantysh family estates and Boikivske settlement community landmarks. By analyzing imagery from different periods, archival sources, and open geoinformation resources, the study identifies sites, clarifies their locations, and traces transformation dynamics during Ukraine’s independence and amid Russian aggression. The study concludes that combining the tools of auxiliary historical disciplines with digital remote sensing methods provides a scientifically grounded basis for creating a digital register of lost and preserved architecture in Donetsk, countering distortions of information, and laying the groundwork for future restoration and reconstruction of the region’s historical environment.