DGTRAN: a digital journey to the medieval greatness of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland
At Skeiron we love big, ambitious ideas — so when we were invited to join the DGTRAN project in 2022, we felt genuinely inspired.
Imagine being transported back several centuries to stroll the streets of medieval castles, feel the grandeur of princely fortresses and literally touch the history that links entire nations. That is exactly the experience the innovative DGTRAN project offers, built through the collaboration of Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish experts.
What is DGTRAN?
DGTRAN is a transnational cultural project that preserves and promotes the historical legacy of Vytautas the Great. This international initiative has become a digital bridge connecting Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. We digitized five Ukrainian sites associated with Vytautas the Great — a ruler who embodied an early form of European unity. These include Lutsk, Kyiv and Kremenets castles, as well as the Tyahyn Fortress and Vytautas Tower in Kherson Oblast.
Digital reconstruction of Vytautas’s castles
One of the project’s brightest jewels is Lutsk Castle, also known as Lubart’s Castle. Built in the 14th century, it became a true symbol of grandeur in Vytautas’s time. We digitized it using advanced technologies — photogrammetry and laser scanning — and produced a full 3D reconstruction in Unreal Engine. Now anyone can walk through the medieval castle and see it as it might have appeared in the era of the great duke.
Lutsk Castle
Equally captivating was the digital reconstruction of Tyahyn Fortress. It served as a strategic customs post on the route between Kyiv, Lviv and Kraków and was built mainly of wood and stone. Its buttresses and walls partly recall the Lithuanian fortress of Trakai. After 1491, when the region came under the control of the Crimean Khan, the fortress was thoroughly rebuilt, yet it still preserves echoes of its former grandeur in its distinctive architectural features.
Tyahyn Fortress
Kyiv Castle, erected on Castle Hill, was also given new life through digital reconstruction. A monument that now survives only in memories and archaeological remains is today accessible for virtual exploration.
Kyiv Castle
Work on the project was challenging but exciting. We were able to build on our earlier efforts—for example, the 3D model of Lutsk Castle that we had digitized previously. Thanks to that model, we could reconstruct the castle as it appeared in Vytautas’s time much more efficiently. The other monuments our team recreated almost from scratch. We consulted with historians throughout to ensure the reconstructions were not only visually compelling but also as historically accurate as possible.
Augmented reality that brings history to life
The project is presented not only via a website with virtual tours but also through a mobile app featuring augmented reality (AR). Thanks to the AR postcards developed within the project, anyone can literally “bring historical structures to life” on their smartphone.
Demonstration of AR postcards at the presentation
The experience of using augmented-reality glasses at the presentation in Lutsk was particularly moving. Visitors — including guests from Lithuania and Poland — enthusiastically toured the medieval castle right there at the event.
Demonstration of the Lutsk Castle 3D model in AR glasses
Challenges and successes
Because of the full-scale war in Ukraine, some sites — such as Vytautas Tower and Tyahyn Fortress in Kherson Oblast — ended up in active combat zones. Nevertheless, despite these conditions, we were able to create digital models of them thanks to archival materials and close cooperation with Ukrainian military personnel who continuously monitor the tower’s condition.
Vytautas Tower, 2003. Photo by Anatoliy Andriiev
In conclusion, we sincerely thank the Creative Europe programme for funding this large-scale project. Special thanks to the coordinators at the Volyn Foundation for their warm and effective cooperation, which made this experience truly unique and valuable for all of us.
Project presentation. 05.05.2025
Join us on this captivating journey into the past — available now with a single click on website vytautasbelt.eu.