The Ivanov Experiments: Soviet Union Attempted to Create Human-Ape Hybrids
A real life Planet of the Apes type experiment was attempted by a Russian scientist in the 1920’s. In 1925 physiologist Ilya Ivanov received $10,000 in funding from the Soviet government for the purposes of creating human-ape hybrids known as humanzees, chumans, or manpanzees. Ivanov was a respected for his work in advancing the field of artificial insemination. His most often told accomplishment was creating technology that enabled one stallion to fertilize up to 500 mares, much better than the normal 20-30 that was common of the time. This work was accomplished at the turn of the 20th century, a time when horses were still in heavy use – so his efforts received major praise. The same process was expanded to other farm animals, creating somewhat of an agricultural boom.
He also used his skills to create animal hybrids. A zebra and a donkey became a zonkey. A mouse and a guinea pig became a muinea pig. A rat and a mouse became a rouse. As well as a zubron, which is a European bison and a cow, a cow-antelope, and a zhorse – as well as other strange animals. In 1910 he gave a speech at a the conference World Congress of Zoologists where he talked about the possibility of creating a human and ape hybrid. He was just speculating at this point, but the thought was there.
He might have got started earlier, but the Russian communist revolution put a hold on any plans. After the war, he built up his network again and formed a friendship with Ivan Pavlov (of Pavlov’s Dogs fame) and Nikolai Petrovich Gorbunov, a one-time secretary of Lenin. Pavlov became an important member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, the final authority to approve scientific funding. So after failing a few times to get funding, Ivanov eventually received an approval for $10,000 that the Academy then approved.
It has been reported that Stalin said:
“I want a new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat.”
I can’t find the original source for that, so take it as you will. Other theories for why he received funding for such an experiment are that because the Bolsheviks were atheists, if a hybrid could be created between humans and apes it would prove evolution over creationism. If a hybrid could be created, it would prove the human race was changeable by scientific means – Stalin wanted people that would more easily live under communism. Also that Ivanov would bring back apes, which were in need for other programs in the country. It is known that the Soviets of the era were engrossed in the idea a hybridization. It was thought that an ape-human mix would create stronger workers and soldiers, but with limited intellectual capability – exactly what was needed for obedience under communism.
So with funding secured and permission to use a French Institute Pasteur’s ape research facility in West Guinea, Ivanov and his son took a boat to Africa to arrive in March of 1926. His presence was not well received, the staff feared that he would report back the horrible conditions of the place. It appeared that nearly half the apes purchased from local hunters died before being able to be sent back to France for biomedical experiments.
Also the apes at the facility were all juveniles, as the hunters just brought in the babies of the ones they had killed. So he hired them to capture and bring back adults, to which he received 13. After what he said was a considerable effort, they managed to inseminate 3 of the females with human sperm. None of which became pregnant.
Frustrated, he turned to the local doctors at the hospital and asked to inseminate local women without their knowledge under the pretense of examinations, to which the doctors agreed. But when the French governor found out he quickly put a stop to it. After little more than a month, father and son traveled back to Russia. He arranged for the captured apes to be sent to the Soviet province of Georgia where the weather is subtropical. A facility had been created to house apes there.
When in Georgia he came up with the plan to continue the experiments using human females who were willing to be inseminated with ape sperm. It is known that at least one woman known as “G” accepted. It is also possible he had up to five others who accepted the offer too, the women being found among the local prison population. It was all for nothing, as many apes did not survive the journey to the facility. The ones that did make it dying shortly after arriving, leaving only an orangutan named Tarzan alive. Just as he was about ready to inseminate woman ‘G’, Tarzan died.
He wrote back to Africa requesting more apes, and chimps did arrive in 1930 but it was too late for Ivanov. Orest Neyman accused him of sabotage when some of the artificial insemination devices on the farms malfunctioned. Ivanov was arrested for “having created a counterrevolutionary organization among agricultural specialists” and sentenced to five years in jail, which was later changed to five years exile in Kazakhstan. After two years there he died at age 61. Coincidentally, Neyman was promoted to take the position that Ivanov had held.
We know today that the experiments would never have worked that way, humans have 46 chromosomes and apes have 48 so they could never pair up properly to create an embryo.
In any event, this was the end of genetic research and the concept of genes in the Soviet Union. A man named Lysenko came to be favored by Stalin, he rejected evolution and natural selection stating instead that natural cooperation is what is observed in nature. Stating such things as rye transforms into wheat, which transforms into barley and that weeds can transform spontaneously into grain. He even believed that if you plucked the leaves from a plant, then the seeds it produced afterward would grow into a plant without leaves. Soviet media propagandized any success and never mentioned any failure, Lysenko quickly became a “Hero of the Soviet Union”.
Stalin had over 3,000 biologists that, rightly, did not agree with Lysenko sent to prison, exiled, or straight up killed. This favoritism might have been because of the eugenics happening in Germany with the Nazi’s, so the Soviet Union had to believe the opposite. Or maybe because Stalin was so pissed that he never got his Apeman warrior army that he paid for.
Weird and horrifying...
That it is, and it's just about the tip of the iceberg when it comes down to crazy experiments.
Whoa! So "Planet of the Apes" may actually turn out to be a documentary in the future!
Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
My brothers will never go for this
Hah, I wondered if you would leave a comment when I found out the last ape was named Tarzan. :D
Dictatorships... crazy madness...
Ain't that the truth. Seems they think they can wish away the laws of nature.