English: Экипаж "МИРа-2" took their seats: Yu. B. Bashkuev, D.Sc.Tech., E.S. Chernyaev, a master of underwater piloting and a Hero of Russia, and M.I. Kuzmin, academician. Facing a difficult, but fruitful day on the underwater slopes of the Akademichesky ridge

English: July 20, 2008, two deep-sea manned vehicles (DEVs) Mir-1 and Mir-2 first submerged in the southern basin of Lake Baikal. International research expedition "Mirs on Baikal” organized by the Lake Baikal Conservation Foundation successfully completed three field seasons from 2008 to 2010. During the expedition, DEVs accomplished maximum depths dives at all of three deepest basins of the lake, explored the outcrops of underwater hydrothermal springs and mud volcanoes, performed searches for gas hydrates and determined their approximate reserves, and obtained accurate data on the tectonics of the bottom of Lake Baikal. The phenomena previously studied by remote methods, were now exposed to the scientists. A few scientific discoveries were also made. Unfortunately, due to the deprivation of funding the season of 2010 turned out to be the last in the modern history of Russian deep underwater research. The photos are what we are left with.