NEWS

KAZAN, September 19, 2025 — At the Kazan Digital Week–2025 International Forum, Guzel M. Saifutdinova, Head of Department of Geoinformation Technology at the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, was awarded a diploma for the best scientific paper. Her work, “Geoinformation systems and 3D reconstruction:iIntegration of methods for the preservation of archaeological heritage sites,” won in the “Digital technologies in culture” category.

It is noteworthy that this is the second victory for specialists of the Institute of Archaeology TAS at this prestigious competition in two years. Last year, first place was awarded to the paper “Online GIS ‘Cultural heritage of Tatarstan and the Tatar people’: development prospects”.

The award ceremony was attended by the President of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences Rifkat N. Minnikhanov and Minister of Digitalization of Public Administration, Information Technologies and Communications of Tatarstan Ayrat R. Khayrullin, who personally presented the award to the winner.

The research by Guzel Saifutdinova demonstrates an innovative approach to preserving archaeological heritage using modern digital technologies. The paper has been published in the forum’s official proceedings and is available on the event’s website at the following link:
https://kazandigitalweek.com/upload/doc/results/2025/sbornik_2025.pdf

This achievement highlights the leading role of the Republic of Tatarstan in the development of digital technologies and their application for cultural heritage preservation.

(Kazan, September 18, 2025) — Specialists of the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences took an active part in the international forum Kazan Digital Week 2025, held at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre. The researchers presented reports at key sections and demonstrated an operational geographic information system (GIS) at a specialized exhibition.

Within the forum’s business program, the presentations by representatives of the Institute were focused on the application of advanced digital technologies in the field of culture and the preservation of archaeological heritage.

At the “Digital technologies in culture” section, a report was delivered by Guzel Maratovna Saifutdinova, head of the departmen of geoinformation technologies. In her presentation on “Geographic information systems and 3D reconstruction: integration of methods for preserving archaeological heritage sites,” she elaborated in detail on how the combined use of GIS and 3D modeling technologies enables the creation of precise digital twins of archaeological monuments. This is critically important for their documentation, condition monitoring, and virtual reconstruction.

Polina Ivanovna Dergunova, a research fellow at the departmen of geoinformation technologies, delivered a lecture. Her presentation, titled “Digital technologies in the preservation of archaeological heritage sites,” provided an overview and analysis of a wide range of tools—from aerial photography to machine learning methods—used in modern archaeological practice.

Another significant event for the Institute was its participation in the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Heritage in the Digital Age!” as part of Kazan Digital Week 2025. Ramis Rustamovich Mukhametshin, head of the information and editorial department, presented a report “Online GIS ‘Cultural heritage of Tatarstan and the Tatar people: prospects for development.'” He discussed the future directions for a large-scale digital project aimed at consolidating humanitarian knowledge.

The practical embodiment of this research is the geoinformation system “Cultural heritage of Tatarstan and the Tatar people,” which was presented at the forum’s exhibition in Pavilion No. 2. Visitors to the stand were able to see in real time how this system, which serves as a unified digital space, integrates a vast array of data: over 92,000 records on archaeological sites, historical objects, archival materials, and the language and culture of the peoples of Tatarstan and the Volga region.

Participation in Kazan Digital Week 2025 allowed the Institute of Archaeology not only to showcase its cutting-edge developments at the federal and international level, but also to share experiences with leading experts in the field of digitalization, thereby defining new vectors for interdisciplinary research.