The Maritime Museum is building a replica of
the Russian Empire's first wooden submarine, a two-person,
human-powered vessel built and tested in Tallinn in 1854.
The submarine was constructed under the direction of Russian
Empire military engineer Ottomar Gern. Maritime Museum Director Urmas
Dresen said the idea to build a copy emerged several years ago.
"The
diagram essential for recreating it was found in Russia just a few
years ago, when Maritime Museum experts were preparing the Seaplane
Harbor exhibition," he said in a press release.
The museum said it
hopes to complete the replica by May 11 - the first anniversary of the
opening of the critically acclaimed Seaplane Harbor - when the vessel is
scheduled to be submerged into the sea for public viewing. It will
remain in the water until the end of the summer, after which it will be
exhibited on land.
Able to submerge to a depth of 2 meters, the
original submarine provided air to the crew members through pipes that
were held above water with the help of floats. However, the vessel,
which was built to boost Tallinn's military defense, never went into
service because it was not sufficiently sealed and it was difficult to
steer, according to the Port of Tallinn's website.
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