Ilya Ivanov (1870-1932) was a zoology professor who specialized in the field of artificial insemination of animals.

He was involved in controversial attempts to create a human-ape hybrid. In the mid 1920s, Professor Ilya Ivanov began his project, funded by the Soviet government, to hybridize humans and apes by artificial insemination, to support the doctrine of evolution. Reference: SOVIET BACKS PLAN TO TEST EVOLUTION, New York Times (1857-Current file); June 17, 1926; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006) pg. 2.

THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION: FAILED

Ilya Ivanov first attempted to produce human male/chimpanzee female hybrids, and all three attempts failed. Ivanow also attempted to use ape males and human females to produce hybrids but was unable to complete the experiment because at least five of the women died. Reference: Acts & Facts, Human-Ape Hybridization: A Failed Attempt to Prove Darwinism, pages 12,13.

In the end, the research failed and has not been attempted again, at least publicly. Today we know it will not be successful for many reasons, (For example: One problem is humans have 46 chromosomes-apes 48-and for this reason the chromosomes will not pair up.) Professor Ivanov's attempts are a major embarrassment to science. Reference: Acts & Facts, Human-Ape Hybridization: A Failed Attempt to Prove Darwinism, pages 12,13.