On July 29 the first deep submersions of manned submersibles Mir-1 and Mir-2 took place in the deepest place of Lake Baikal between the Olkhon Island and Svyatoy Nos Peninsula in the framework of the International research expedition “Mir” on the Baikal”, which was organized by the METROPOL Group and the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal.
Approximately at 13:30 local time (8:30 Moscow time) “Mir-1” began to submerge. The crew of the craft included Head of the METROPOL Group, President of the Guardianship Board of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal M.  Slipenchuk, President of the Republic of Buryatia V. Nagovitsyn, and Head of laboratory of manned submersibles of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Science, Chairman of the Technical Board of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal A.  Sagalevich.
The manned submersible “Mir-1” descended from the Metropolia special-purpose vessel, reached the bottom of the lake and installed a 50-cm high trihedron pyramid at a depth of 1580 meters. The sides of the pyramid feature the coats of arms of Russia and Buryatia and an inscription 85 years of the Republic of Buryatia.
“Mir-2” under the command of Fund Technical Board member E. Chernyaev also reached the bottom of Lake Baikal and put there titanium flags of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Buryatia, as well as a capsule with a message to descendants on behalf of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal.
Head of the research expedition, President of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal A. Chilingarov supervised the progress of the expedition from the Metropolia special-purpose vessel.
The submersion of “Mir-1” and “Mir-2” craft to the bottom of Lake Baikal lasted close to 5 hours. During the submergence the craft took samples of bedrock and water and obtained the latest data on the state or fauna and flora in Baikal, as well as new information on tectonic processes at the bed of the Lake.
As submersions were completed, members of the International scientific research expedition “Mir” on Baikal” held a press conference on Metropolia special-purpose vessel, in which A.N. Chilingarov, M.V. Slipenchuk and other crewmembers participated.
Head of METROPOL Group and President of the Guardianship Board of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal M. Slipenchuk told reporters that “Mir” submersed not for the sake of a record, but to obtain new scientific data for the development of Russian science. Head of the “Mir” on the Baikal” expedition A. Chilingarov addressed the journalists and thanked M. Slipenchuk for assistance in the organization of the expedition and specifically underlined that it is a major event for the benefit of Russia.
President of Buryatia V. Nagovitsyn, who was also among “Mir” crew, thanked the leadership of the Fund for protection of Lake Baikal for the possibility to submerge and personally see that the bottom of the lake is clean and there is no garbage down there. To confirm the words all the seven participants of the expedition drank water from a capsule that was filled in at the bottom of the Baikal.