History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back Myth № 2: Disfavor of P.L. Kapitsa (1946-1953) - the Critical Analysis of the Reasons and Forms. Part 1. 1946: «Cutting off Oxygen» B.S. Gorobets The well-known, in the history of Soviet science, «disfavor» of academician Piotr Kapitsa (1946–1953) has been analyzed in the light of new documents and evidences. The two causes were in the base of the Kapitsa’s disfavor: his refusal to work in the atomic Special Committee under the Beria’s and Kurchatov’s direction, and the resolution of the government on inexpediency of Kapitsa’s turbodetander for oxygen production. The Part 1 of the essaу treats «the oxygen problem» in the light of relations between Kapitsa and the Soviet power, as well as his opponents represented by cryogenic scientists and engineers, their arguments and civic portraits. Key words: Kapitsa; Gelperin; Gersh; Usiukin; oxygen; turbodetander; liquefaction. E-mail: bgorobets@rambler.ru