Every year, according to statistics, our civilization is increasing by eighty million people. It is logical to assume that the day is not far off when people will have to look for a new place of residence, since the Earth will become too crowded. Soviet scientists pondered this question back in the middle of the last century. Moreover, they turned their gaze not into space, but into the depths of the ocean. In the Soviet Union, even several projects arose to create entire underwater houses, from which entire cities could be formed.
Hydropolises: life in the ocean
According to scientists, a global food shortage, as well as a critical overpopulation of the planet, will occur on Earth by the middle of the twenty-first century. As one of the methods of survival, scientists from leading countries of the world have proposed the creation of underwater cities: hydropolises. Moreover, according to the researchers, life in them will be more comfortable than on land. In fact, these will be giant skyscrapers located in the waters of the ocean. These cities will be safe in terms of weather, atmospheric phenomena, earthquakes, as well as pressure and temperature changes. Hydropolises will receive electricity from tidal power plants, as well as generators of electricity operating at temperature extremes. At the same time, it can be noted that today there are all the technologies for starting the construction of underwater cities, and in the Soviet Union,starting from the 1960s, not only active work was carried out to develop projects for these cities, but even full-scale tests of underwater houses.
Soviet "Ichthyandras"
In fiction, the creation of underwater cities was described in most detail by the famous Soviet science fiction writer A. R. Belyaev. It is not surprising that it was in the Soviet Union that the first projects for the creation of underwater houses appeared. Moreover, these experiments were carried out both by state organizations and by groups of enthusiastic submariners. One of the first were the members of the diving club "Ichthyander", located in Donetsk. Within the framework of this project, scuba diving enthusiasts proposed to conduct several studies from the reaction of human health to a long stay under water to the creation and operation of structures intended for human life in the depths of the sea. Since most of the project participants were employees of the Institute of Mining Mechanics and Technical Cybernetics,the research organization provided substantial material support to the unique project. The Institute isolated the metal, from which the enthusiasts created an underwater house in the shape of an inverted glass. Air was pumped into this structure using a decommissioned aircraft compressor, and electricity was supposed to be obtained from a used power plant. In the summer of 1966, the project of the underwater house was taken to Cape Tarankhut in the Crimea, starting preparations for diving. Those wishing to live in an underwater house with an area of 6 sq. m. there were more than a hundred people. Descending into the underwater house, equipped with a porthole, light, telephone, bathroom and two beds, was supposed to be in shifts, since the structure could only accommodate two people. The food was to be delivered under the water by divers, passing it to the inhabitants of the unusual structure through a special lock. Finally, on August 22, 1966, the underwater house was lowered into the sea to a depth of 11 meters. Its first resident was Alexander Khaes, who was joined by Dmitry Galaktionov a day later. The first private experiment of life under water lasted only three days, but brought worldwide fame to its organizers. The experiment was repeated a year later. A new underwater house in the form of a star with three beams was created, with an area of 28 sq.m. and already has four rooms. In addition to people, animals were placed in the underwater building. The people were accompanied by rats and rabbits. The inhabitants of this unusual dwelling have successfully spent two weeks under water. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1969 without receiving government support.to which Dmitry Galaktionov joined a day later. The first private experiment of life under water lasted only three days, but brought worldwide fame to its organizers. The experiment was repeated a year later. A new underwater house in the form of a star with three beams was created, with an area of 28 sq.m. and already has four rooms. In addition to people, animals were placed in the underwater building. The people were accompanied by rats and rabbits. The inhabitants of this unusual dwelling have successfully spent two weeks under water. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1969 without receiving government support.to which Dmitry Galaktionov joined a day later. The first private experiment of life under water lasted only three days, but brought worldwide fame to its organizers. The experiment was repeated a year later. A new underwater house in the form of a star with three beams was created, with an area of 28 sq.m. and already has four rooms. In addition to people, animals were placed in the underwater building. The people were accompanied by rats and rabbits. The inhabitants of this unusual dwelling have successfully spent two weeks under water. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1969 without receiving government support. In addition to people, animals were placed in the underwater building. The people were accompanied by rats and rabbits. The inhabitants of this unusual dwelling have successfully spent two weeks under water. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1969 without receiving government support. In addition to people, animals were placed in the underwater building. The people were accompanied by rats and rabbits. The inhabitants of this unusual dwelling have successfully spent two weeks under water. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1969 without receiving government support.
Promotional video:
New journey "Sadko"
In addition to the projects of underwater houses successfully implemented by enthusiasts, similar experiments were carried out at the state level in the Soviet Union. In 1966, the first underwater laboratory with the symbolic name "Sadko" was launched. The project was prepared by the Sukhumi branch of the Acoustic Institute. The underwater house "Sadko" had the shape of a sphere with a diameter of 3 sq.m. For stability on the seabed, a special stand was attached to the ball, and its crew consisted of two people. The inhabitants of the underwater house were connected to the outside world by a telephone. In "Sadko" air was supplied, there was ventilation and a device for equalizing the pressure. The first was carried out on animals. The subjects were lowered to a record depth of 35 meters. However, living people were submerged only 12 meters. Scientists were under water for about 6 hours. During the experiment, the underwater house was visited by 8 crews of two people each. The final reports from the researchers were the most sympathetic. The Sadko project showed in practice that from the physical, psychological and technological side, Soviet science was ready to start creating underwater houses, and then cities. A few years later, the second underwater laboratory "Sadko-2" was created. It was more spacious and had two cylindrical compartments. In everyday life, a bathroom and a pantry were added. As part of the experiment, two scientists were lowered to a depth of 25 meters, where they worked for six days. The experiment was also successful. As part of the third part of the research in 1969, scientists developed the third installation - "Sadko - 3". This time, the researchers sank to the seabed in a vehicle with three spherical compartments. The number of residents of the underwater house was increased to three people, who spent 14 days at sea. During the third part of the experiment, in addition to studying the possibility of human life in underwater structures, serious bioacoustic studies were carried out. But, despite the fact that this stage of the experiments also ended successfully, it was decided not to continue further research work on the creation of underwater houses at the state level. Installations for human life by submarine turned out to be too expensive, and had no practical application. Nevertheless, scientists of the USSR proved in practice the possibility of creating underwater houses for human life in the waters of the seas and oceans. During the third part of the experiment, in addition to studying the possibility of human life in underwater structures, serious bioacoustic studies were carried out. But, despite the fact that this stage of the experiments also ended successfully, it was decided not to continue further research work on the creation of underwater houses at the state level. Installations for human life by submarine turned out to be too expensive, and had no practical application. Nevertheless, scientists of the USSR proved in practice the possibility of creating underwater houses for human life in the waters of the seas and oceans. During the third part of the experiment, in addition to studying the possibility of human life in underwater structures, serious bioacoustic studies were carried out. But, despite the fact that this stage of the experiments also ended successfully, it was decided not to continue further research work on the creation of underwater houses at the state level. Installations for human life by submarine turned out to be too expensive, and had no practical application. Nevertheless, scientists of the USSR proved in practice the possibility of creating underwater houses for human life in the waters of the seas and oceans.but had no practical application. Nevertheless, scientists of the USSR proved in practice the possibility of creating underwater houses for human life in the waters of the seas and oceans.but had no practical application. Nevertheless, scientists of the USSR proved in practice the possibility of creating underwater houses for human life in the waters of the seas and oceans.