Blockchain as digital memory: Documenting crimes against cultural heritage during armed conflicts

Abstract

In the contemporary world, armed conflicts pose a threat not only to human lives, but also to cultural heritage, which serves as crucial evidence of the history and identity of nations. Research into the potential of blockchain technology draws attention to its capabilities in preserving evidence of cultural heritage and crimes committed against it during military conflicts, particularly in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. This study aimed to analyse the use of blockchain technology for documenting crimes against cultural heritage, focusing on its potential for long-term preservation, authentication of digital evidence, ensuring open access to records, and supporting digital memory at a national level. The research methodology combined general scientific methods – analysis, synthesis, abstraction, logical exposition, and generalisation – with specialised research methods, including bibliographic analysis, content analysis, and critical approaches. Blockchain is a distributed ledger (or database) composed of a chain of blocks, each containing specific information. The potential of blockchain technology can be harnessed to document crimes against cultural heritage, particularly in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. This involved: preserving digital evidence of crimes, creating a register of lost heritage, decentralising archival data, securing international recognition of facts of criminal destruction, and facilitating crowdfunding and funding for restoration. Existing blockchain initiatives, such as Salsal, Monuverse, and Ukraine DAO, by transforming cultural heritage into an interactive digital resource, can become tools for documenting criminal damage, preserving memory, countering illicit trafficking of artefacts, and establishing a novel form of resilient digital documentation in wartime. The practical significance of the research lies in the use of blockchain for preserving the heritage of Ukraine and other countries experiencing cultural losses due to war. This is crucial for ensuring digital memory, transparency, and the legal reliability of information for subsequent legal prosecution and historical accountability for crimes against heritage in Ukraine