Yandex and the international Leo Tolstoy Heritage Foundation are launching a large-scale digital project to mark the 200th anniversary of the great writer. According to TASS, the technology giant has become the foundation’s general partner in order to preserve and systematize the vast cultural legacy of the author of War and Peace with the help of artificial intelligence.

A key stage of the project will be the digitization of the handwritten archive from the state museum-reserve. Specialists will convert about 2 million pages into digital format, including unique drafts. These materials will form the basis of a future virtual museum of manuscripts, which will provide researchers and readers around the world with access to archival documents.

In addition to digitizing the texts, the project also aims to create a full digital ecosystem. Artificial intelligence will help process rare archival photographs, while modern synthesis technologies will make it possible to reconstruct the writer’s voice. Moreover, a virtual world based on Tolstoy’s works is planned, allowing people to view classical literature through the lens of modern technology.

The new project will be built on the already existing “Tolstoy’s Words” platform. Over ten years of work, its participants have already digitized 90 volumes of the writer’s complete works and prepared numerous interactive materials. Cooperation with Yandex will take this work to a new level, making Tolstoy’s legacy more accessible and understandable for the digital generation.

ORIENT