Russia to Launch Virtual Museum of Sunken Ships
An interactive digital map will showcase 3D models of historic submarines and warships resting on the Black Sea floor.
The Sevastopol branch of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) is creating a virtual museum of underwater heritage, featuring 3D-scanned replicas of sunken ships from the Imperial Russian Navy and World War II. Using advanced 3D modeling and underwater imaging, the project will allow anyone to explore the hidden history of the Black Sea through an interactive online map.
According to Viktor Lebedinsky, head of the Center for Historical and Archaeological Studies of Crimea and the Mediterranean, the initiative will serve as a digital archive of underwater discoveries, effectively transforming archaeological research into a public, immersive experience.
Remote-controlled submersibles are assisting researchers in capturing detailed underwater footage of shipwrecks, which is then used to build accurate virtual reconstructions of each vessel.
Underwater Archaeology for Everyone
In 2025, six new shipwrecks were added to the digital collection, but many more vessels still lie undiscovered on the seabed.
The virtual museum will make centuries of maritime history accessible to anyone with an internet connection—offering a realistic, interactive glimpse beneath the waves, where history’s lost ships now live on in digital form.
