The Realm of Historia project recently announced its intention to make progress in the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage using blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
In a departure from conventional methods, this initiative seeks to digitize historical artifacts and physical historic sites, starting with the Realm of Historia: Carahunge
Cointelegraph spoke with the two creators of Realm of Historia, Ivan Grantovsky and Ivan Krylov, about how emerging technologies can preserve culture and connect new generations to history.
At the heart of Realm of Historia’s efforts is the Solana blockchain, which the two developers say was chosen for efficiency and transparency purposes.
Krylov said part of the inspiration for creating a platform is the lack of engaging platforms that present cultural heritage digitally and are transparent about how to participate philanthropically.
“This is the part for technology to solve this problem. The technology we are talking about is the blockchain, because it offers a solution to the lack of transparency.”
The Realm of Historia: Carahunge All NFTs in the collection combine art and digital versions of the bricks from the physical site.
In addition to digitizing pieces of cultural heritage, the project also aims to support local artists in Armenia and collaborates with entities such as the Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation (YBAF), A1 Art Space and Latitude Art Space.
1 | Born in Yerevan, Armenia, among a family of artists, Lilit Eghiazaryan’s journey in the field of art was predestined pic.twitter.com/LEwznJfVB5
— Realm of Historia (@RealmofHistoria) December 8, 2023
The founders of Realm of Historia said they see this project playing a crucial role in bridging cultural gaps, empowering local artists and highlighting Armenia’s cultural wealth through emerging technology.
“The most important thing is that our projects are about real-life impact, that you do something digitally and that it has an impact on the real world.”
Related: How Generative AI Enables One Architect to Reimagine Old Cities
The project has a physical-digital aspect in the form of a QR code attached to each NFT that can be scanned and redeemed at local cafes, museums and other locations in Armenia that collaborate with the project, they said.
“Not only are you helping the world and preserving culture, but you are also part of a community.”
This initiative is part of a broader global trend that recognizes the potential of blockchain in the field of cultural heritage preservation. The decentralized and transparent nature of blockchain ensures a reliable record of historical assets, ensuring their unchanged accessibility for future generations.
In a similar project in Ukraine, a local art museum used blockchain digitization and NFTs to document and preserve wartime art and cultural heritage.
More recently, metaverse platform Sandbox Web3 has collaborated with the British Museum to bring art and history to the metaverse in physical-digital experiences.
The team behind Realm of Historia also plans to build “The Atrium” or a “virtual museum hall” where users will be able to enter a 3D lobby dedicated to cultural heritage and the locations represented by the project.
“You could say: the digital ark for cultural heritage. The Atrium is intended to attract the attention of the younger generation.”
In 2022, the island of Tuvalu, which is rapidly sinking into the sea, announced similar plans to build a digital version of itself to preserve its history as it risks being erased by climate change.
The founders of Realm of Historia said their goal is to eventually expand beyond Armenia and build collections “everywhere we can, all over the world.” They said they are in discussions about possible conservation projects in Malta, Italy, Cambodia and Georgia.
