Digitizing Memory

In Lviv, a unique and extremely important process is underway - the digitization of Jewish tombstones that were rescued from the grounds of the former Lontskoho prison. This work is being carried out by a team of volunteers from the Sholom Aleichem Jewish Cultural Society at the Yaniv Jewish Cemetery.

Last month, the volunteers accomplished a remarkable feat - retrieving over 350 tombstones (matzevot) from the courtyard of the former political prison, which at different points in history served as a site of terror under the NKVD, Gestapo, and Einsatzgruppen. According to researchers, these stones were most likely stolen from a Jewish cemetery during the Nazi occupation and repurposed to pave the prison’s inner courtyard.

For several years, this tragic chapter of history was known, but it was only this summer that permission was granted to physically relocate the tombstones to their rightful place - the cemetery. Now, the next, equally important stage has begun: digitizing and documenting each artifact.

Photography, creation of 3D models, and preservation of inscriptions and symbols will not only record these artifacts but also restore the names of those whom history tried to erase from memory.

Volunteers emphasize that this is not merely archaeological or historical work - it is an act of restoring justice and human dignity. Each saved tombstone tells a story and serves as a reminder of the thousands of lives tragically cut short in the 20th century.

Thanks to the combined efforts of volunteers, historians, and concerned citizens of Lviv, memory is being restored to its rightful place. While much work still lies ahead, this initiative has already become a symbol that, even decades after the horrific events of the past, it is possible to rebuild connections across generations, honor memory, and give a voice to those who were once silenced.