Laser Scan of Novgorod Kremlin Could Help Identify Cause of Embankment Landslide
Scientists from the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography have created a 3D model of the affected section of the Novgorod Kremlin, covering part of the moat and wall and three towers, following a landslide.
The data will help determine what caused the incident and predict further changes.
The site was scanned with an accuracy of 2–3 millimeters, enabling ongoing monitoring of processes that could threaten the historic monument. The slope, stretching from the Resurrection Arch to the Zlatoust Tower and around the base of the Kukui Tower, gave way in late September after rainfall reached three times the normal level.
Sergey Bryun, director general of the Novgorod State Museum-Reserve, said the current situation resembles a landslide in 2017, when emergency stabilization work involved reinforcing the slope with geogrid. The digital model will serve as a basis for design and survey work to plan the restoration.
