Rebuilding Palmyra's Arch of Triumph may start in middle of Sept

ST. PETERSBURG. June 10 (Interfax) - Russian experts have started the logistical stage of the project to rebuild the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria, which was blown up in 2015, Natalya Solovyova, leader of the restoration project, head of the Center of Rescue Archeology and deputy director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for the History of Material Culture, said.

"We are now starting the practical work on the logistical stage, namely the procurement of equipment [and] sending this equipment to Palmyra. We will most likely start working in Palmyra approximately in the middle of September," she told a press conference with Interfax on Monday.

Solovyova admitted that there are some problems associated with ensuring security in Palmyra and interaction with the Syrian security agencies, but the experts hope to carry out their work.

"We hope that the restoration project will take about three years. If we can do it faster, we will probably try to do it faster," Solovyova said.

The project to restore the Arch of Triumph was approved at a meeting of the UNESCO committee for Palmyra in Damascus in late May, which was attended by international experts, she said.

As reported, the Arch of Triumph dates to the third century A.D. and is the most famous architectural structure of the ancient city of Palmyra and a symbol of Syria. It was destroyed in May 2015 by militants of the terrorist group ISIL, which is banned in Russia.

Only the outermost pylons of the arch's lateral spans remained after the explosion. The main vault collapsed, and the central span was completely destroyed. Its stone blocks were seriously damaged, and some elements were damaged beyond repair.

In August 2020, the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for the History of Material Culture gave the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities & Museums an improved 3D-model of the current state of Palmyra.

An expedition comprising archeologists, restoration experts, geologists, and designers carried out work in Syria in late 2021 and developed a plan for the upcoming project.

The Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for the History of Material Culture has worked on restoring damaged Syrian artifacts for several years. Its first and biggest project was the creation of a 3D model of the whole of the ancient city of Palmyra and the creation of the geo-information system GIS Palmyra. It contains all historical information on the celebrated monument of world culture before its destruction.