Exploring Ancient Petroglyphs Without Leaving Home: Russia Brings Rock Art Into Virtual Reality
A team of archaeologists from Novosibirsk and Kemerovo is bringing South Siberia’s ancient rock art into the digital age. Their new project combines a virtual reality tour of the Tom River petroglyphs with an educational computer game — giving users across the world a chance to explore Russia’s prehistoric art from their own homes.
Digital Archaeology and the Future of Preservation
Tomskaya Pisanitsa, the most famous of eight rock art sites along the Tom River near Kemerovo, has long been one of Siberia’s cultural landmarks. A museum reserve was established here decades ago to protect these Bronze Age petroglyphs, which depict elk, hunters, and abstract symbols carved thousands of years ago.
Now, with the help of modern visualization tools, the challenge of preserving ancient art while expanding public access is being tackled in a new way. Heavy tourist traffic and the natural fragility of the rocks make physical visits risky for both heritage and the environment. Virtual tours, on the other hand, allow people to experience these sites remotely — reducing human impact while increasing global visibility.
The project, titled 'Stories in Stone: Virtual Journeys with Ancient Artists,' is led by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Tomskaya Pisanitsa Museum-Reserve and the Education Foundation. It will make seven major petroglyph sites in Southern Siberia available in VR format, including Tomskaya and Novoromanovskaya Pisanitsas on the Tom River, Kalbak-Tash and Elangash in the Altai Mountains, and several sites in Khakassia such as the Sulek, Boyar, and Shalabolino complexes.
From Rock Art to Game Design
Beyond the virtual tour, the project’s creators are developing a computer game inspired by the mythology and landscape of ancient Siberia. Players will follow a narrative quest to uncover hidden petroglyphs, combining adventure mechanics with authentic archaeological content. The game and VR experience, funded by Russia’s Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology, are scheduled for release by the end of 2025.
These digital initiatives are part of a global movement in cultural heritage — one that blends education, entertainment, and preservation. Projects like this offer both accessibility and protection, letting more people learn about early human creativity without putting fragile artifacts at risk.
Already, anyone can explore some of the Siberian sites online: Novoromanovskaya Pisanitsa is available , and the Sulek petroglyphs . Together, these experiences create an immersive educational ecosystem that connects digital natives to ancient history.
A Model for Global Digital Heritage
For Russia, this initiative represents a step toward the digital transformation of cultural heritage — and a showcase of homegrown IT capabilities. It demonstrates how archaeological data, gaming technology, and 3D visualization can merge into new formats for education and tourism.
The same 3D modeling tools developed for this project could soon find international applications. Russian teams with expertise in virtual reconstruction can collaborate with foreign institutions to digitize monuments and create virtual museums — especially in countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America that are seeking cost-effective heritage solutions.
If the visual quality, interactivity, and navigation remain competitive, the technology could even be licensed abroad, turning Russian research into a global export.
