Engineering and geological aspects in the museumification of architectural and archaeological monuments

Abstract

   Background. Tourism is an important economic sector, attracting a large amount of people to historical sites, including architectural and archaeological monuments. At present, the question of their museumification is resolved by considering their historical value and economic expediency. At the same time, the possibility of physically preserving the structures and materials of extant monuments is frequently ignored.   Aim. To substantiate the need to study the engineering and geological conditions during museumification of architectural and archaeological monuments to predict their sustainable functioning.   Materials and methods. The results of the authors’ long-term field and desktop research into the impact of engineering and geological conditions on the preservation of architectural and archaeological monuments during museumification were generalized and analyzed.   Results. Two different scenarios were formulated for carrying out an engineering and geological assessment of the state of not only already museumified monuments, but also those that are supposed to be museumified in order to ensure their long-term, safe and manageable functioning as museums.   Conclusion. The need to involve geologists in solving the question of museumification of architectural and archaeological monuments is substantiated. Examples of successful implementation of such a practice, which allowed emergency situations to be avoided, are provided.