Ichthyander Project

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The Ichthyander Project was the first project involving underwater habitats in the Soviet Union in 1960s.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Inspired by information on experiments on underwater habitats abroad (in particular, by Jacques Cousteau's Conshelf), the members of the amateur diving club "Ichthyander"^[6] in Donetsk embarked on the project of their own at a site by Tarkhankut Cape, Crimea.^[1]

The name is taken from the name of the protagonist of the Soviet film Amphibian Man.

In August 1966, in the first experiment, purely amateur, Ichthyander-66, a person spent three days continuously underwater. After newspaper news, the experiment attracted attention of authorities and scientist, and during Ichthyander-67 the habitat operated for two weeks. After Ichtyander-68 Ichtyander-70, after unsuccessful attempts to elevate it to a professional level, with state support, the project was discontinued.^[3] A 1968 Soviet popular science book Homo Aquaticus writes: "It so happened that after the 1967 expedition, an order was issued to dissolve the club". Ichthyander-68 was carried out during a short-lived attempt the members of the club to attach themselves to the Mining Science-Technical Society (Горное научно-техническое общество) to start research in underwater geodesy and drilling.^[7]

A memorial marker exists (a stone with a plaque and steel slabs) at the site.^[1]

This project preceded and catalyzed several other early Soviet experiments with underwater habitats, such as Sadko (autumn 1966), Chernomor and Sprut.^[2][3]

• Ichthyander (disambiguation)

• "Aquanautics in Ukraine" (АКВАНАВТИКА В УКРАИНЕ), "Aqua Magazine", 2003, #2, a section about Ichthyander