Cruisers of the Russian Imperial Navy (1873–1917)

Note on official classification Until 1892, there was no standardized name for ships of the cruiser type. They were classified as armoured frigates, armoured corvettes and even screw corvettes. The "Cruiser" \ «крейсер» designation appeared in 1878, but only for auxiliary non-protected ships. Starting in 1892 and up to 1907, all of these ships were divided between 1st rank cruisers and 2nd rank cruisers, although this division did not coincide with the delineation between armoured cruisers & protected cruisers. The designation "auxiliary cruiser" officially appeared in 1904. According to the new classification table of 1907, all cruisers, except auxiliary ships, were divided between "armoured cruisers" and "cruisers". During the first decades of the Soviet Navy the only one "cruiser" designation existed, but in 1949 cruisers were divided between "light cruisers", "heavy cruisers" and "training cruisers". Later "missile cruisers", "anti-submarine cruisers", "aircraft-carrying cruisers", "heavy nuclear missile cruisers" appeared.

Armoured cruiser

This type of warship was invented by Russians.Beeler, p 222Smirnov G., Smirnov V. Istoriya sozdaniya i sluzby pervykh bronenosnykh kreiserov (russkikh i angliyskikh) // "Modelist-Konstruktor" (The history of creation and service of first armoured cruisers (Russian & English)).Moiseev (ref. № 1), p. 15. The ships were intended to conduct the traditional cruiser operations against merchant ships and their protectors. For this reason, they had been armed with heavy main guns and medium armour to fight with light cruisers. The ships also possessed relatively high speed to escape from an opponent's battleships. All of them were officially classified as 1st rank cruisers and were assigned to the Baltic Fleet.

General-Admiral class General-Admiral \ «Генерал-адмирал», armoured frigate (1873) - Voyaged in Atlantic Ocean 1893, used as training vessel since early 1900s (decade), minelayer Narova \ «Нарова» 1909, training vessel 1920, reconstructed as minelayer 25 Oktiabria \ «25 Октября» 1924, mother-ship 1937, decommissioned 1944, BU 1953 Gerzog Edinburgski \ «Герцог Эдинбургский», armoured frigate (ex-Alexander Nevsky \ «Александр Невский» - renamed on slip) (1875) - Served at Far East 1879–1884 and at Mediterranean Sea 1897–c.1900, used as training vessel since early 1900s (decade), reconstructed as minelayer Onega \ «Онега» 1909, hulked as mine depot 1914 (named № 4, Barrikada \ «Баррикада», № 9), BU 1949 Minin \ «Минин», armoured frigate (1869) - Rebuilt during completion as seagoing cruiser and commissioned 1878, reclassified as 1st rank cruiser 1892, Reconstructed as minelayer Ladoga \ «Ладога» 1909, Mined 1915 Vladimir Monomakh-class armoured frigates (2 units) Vladimir Monomakh \ «Владимир Мономах» (1882) - Served at Far East 1890–1892 & 1894–1902, torpedoed at the Battle of Tsushima 1905 Dmitrii Donskoi \ «Дмитрий Донской» (1883) - Served at Atlantic Ocean 1893 and far East 1895–1901, damaged and scuttled after the Battle of Tsushima to prevent capture 1905 (82 men lost) Admiral Nakhimov \ «Адмирал Нахимов», armoured cruiser (1885) - Served at Far East 1888–1891, 1894–1898 & 1899–1902 and at Mediterranean Sea 1893, torpedoed at the Battle of Tsushima 1905 (18 men lost) Pamiat Azova \ «Память Азова», armoured frigate (1888) - Voyaged Northern Pacific 1890–1892, served here 1893–1900, converted to training vessel Dvina \ «Двина», submarine base 1915, renamed Pamiat Azova 1917, torpedoed at Kronstadt 1919 Rurik-class cruisers of 1st rank (3 units) Rurik \ «Рюрик» (1892) - Served at the Far East 1895–1904, sunk at the Battle of the Japanese Sea 1904 (202 men lost) Rossia \ «Россия» (1895) - Served at Far East 1895–1906, flagship of Rear Admiral Karl Jessen during the Russo-Japanese War, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Gromoboi \ «Громобой» (1899) (transitional type to squadron cruisers) - Served at Far East 1900–1906, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Bayan class (4 units) Bayan \ «Баян» (1900, La Seyne) - Served at Far East 1903–1904, sunk by shells and blown up to prevent capture 1904, refloated by Japan and renamed Aso 1908, minelayer 1920, hulked 1930, sunk as target 1932 Admiral Makarov \ «Адмирал Макаров» (1906, La Seyne) - Voyaged Mediterranean Sea 1908–1909 & 1909–1910, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Pallada \ «Паллада» (1906) - Torpedoed near Odensholm Island 1914 (594 men lost) Bayan (1907) - Laid up 1918, BU 1922

Rurik \ «Рюрик» (1906, Barrow-in-Furness) - Voyaged Mediterranean Sea 1910, flagship of Admiral Nikolai Essen during World War I, laid up 1921, BU 1924

Protected cruiser Russia had nearly not developed this British-designed type of ship, and had instead concentrated on armoured cruisers. Most of these ships were classified officially as 1st rank cruisers, they were assigned to the Baltic Fleet, with the exception of a handful of ships.

Vitiaz-class screw corvettes (2 units) Vitiaz \ «Витязь»(1884) - Voyaged to Far East 1886–1889 & 1891–1893, wrecked in Korea Strait 1893 Rynda \ «Рында» (1885) - Voyaged to Far East 1886–1889, served here 1893–1896, training vessel 1906, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Admiral Kornilov \ «Адмирал Корнилов», cruiser (1887, Saint-Nazaire) - Served at Far East 1899–1891 & 1893–1902, reclassified to cruiser of 2nd Rank 1905 and training vessel 1907, decommissioned 1911 cruisers of 1st Rank (3 units). In fact, it turned out, they were not suitable to cruiser duty due to low speed and extra low range. Two of them were used as fire-watch ships at Port Arthur, the third became excellent training cruiser for naval cadets. Pallada \ «Паллада» (1899) - Served at Far East 1902–1904, sunk at Port Arthur 1904, refloated by Japan and renamed Tsugaru, reconstructed as minelayer 1920, decommissioned 1922, sunk as target 1924 Diana \ «Диана» (1899) - Served at Far East 1902–1906, interned by France 1904, released 1905, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Aurora \ «Аврора» (1900) - Served at Far East 1902–1906, interned by U.S.A. 1905, released 1905, participated October Revolution (1917), training cruiser and cadets' training base 1922–1961, museum ship since 1948, preserved at Saint Petersburg Varyag \ «Варяг» (1899, Philadelphia) - Served at Far East, scuttled after the Battle of Chemulpo 1904, refloated by Japan, renamed Soya, purchased by Russia 1916, renamed Varyag and transferred to Arctic Sea Flotilla 1916, seized by the British 1918, used as floating barracks, sold to Germany for BU 1921, wrecked 1922

Askold \ «Аскольд» (1900, Kiel) - Served at Far East 1902–1914, interned by China to prevent capture 1904, released 1905, served at Mediterranean Sea 1914–1916, transferred to Arctic Sea Flotilla 1916, captured by Britain 1918, renamed HMS Gloria IV, returned to Soviet Russia 1922 and sold for BU Bogatyr class (5 units). Reclassified as "cruisers" in 1907 Bogatyr \ «Богатырь» (1901, Stettin) - Served at Far East 1902–1906, voyaged Mediterranean Sea 1907–1910, laid up 1918, BU 1922 Kagul \ «Кагул» (ex-Ochakov \ «Очаков», renamed 1906) (1902 Black Sea Fleet) - Renamed Ochakov 1917, captured by Germany 1918, captured by Britain and delivered to White Army 1918, renamed General Kornilov \ «Генерал Корнилов», interned by France in Bizerte, returned to Soviet Russia 1924 and sold for BU, BU 1933 Pamiat Merkuria \ «Память Меркурия» (ex-Kagul \ «Кагул», renamed 1906) (1902 Black Sea Fleet) - Destroyed by British troops 1919, repaired, reclassified to light cruiser and renamed Komintern \ «Коминтерн» 1922, scuttled as breakwater 1942 Oleg \ «Олег» (1903) - sent to Far East 1905, flagship of Rear Admiral Oskar Enkvist at the Battle of Tsushima (1905), interned by U.S.A. after the battle, released 1905, voyaged at Mediterranean Sea late 1900s (decade), torpedoed 1919, BU 1938 Vitiaz \ «Витязь» - Burnt on slip 1901 Novik class (1 unit) Novik \ «Новик» (1900, Danzig or Elbing) - Served at Far East 1903–1904, damaged and scuttled to prevent capture 1904, refloated by Japan, commissioned as light cruiser Suzuya, BU 1913 Boyarin class (1 unit) Boyarin \ «Боярин» (1901, Copenhagen) - Served at Far East 1903–1904, mined near Port Arthur 1904 Zhemchug class (upgraded Novik class) (2 units) Zhemchug \ «Жемчуг» (1903) - Served at Far East 1905–1914, interned by U.S.A. after the Battle of Tsushima (1905), released 1905 and transferred to Siberian Flotilla, sunk in Battle of Penang 1914 Izumrud \ «Изумруд»(1903) - Sent to Far East 1905, wrecked and blown up to prevent capture 1905, found by divers 1989 Prut \ «Прут», Cruiser (1903; ex-Turkish Mecidiye, ex-Abdül Mecid ) - Mined near Odessa 1915, refloated by Russians, repaired and commissioned 1916, captured by Germany, returned Turkey and renamed Mecidiye 1918, Training vessel 1940, decommissioned 1947, BU 1952 Muraviev Amurski class (2 units). Both cruisers were ordered in Germany for the Siberian Flotilla. At the beginning of World War I these were confiscated by Germans and commissioned to Kaiserliche Marine. Muraviev Amurski \ «Муравьёв-Амурский» (1914) - Since 1914 SMS Pillau, ceded to Italy and renamed Bari, sunk 1943 Admiral Nevel‘skoi \ «Адмирал Невельской» (1914) - Since 1914 SMS Elbing, sunk at the Battle of Jutland 1916

Yacht cruisers These ships were simply yachts equipped with large calibre artillery. Svetlana was protected, but the others were not.

Pamiat Merkuria \ «Память Меркурия», Cruiser (1880, Le Havre; ex-Dobroflot liner Yaroslavl 1 \ «Ярославль (1)») - Purchased for Black Sea Fleet 1882, reclassified Cruiser of 1st Rank 1892, decommissioned 1907 Svetlana \ «Светлана», Cruiser of 1st Rank (1896, Le Havre) - Sunk at the Battle of Tsushima 1905 (170 men lost) Almaz \ «Алмаз», Cruiser of 2nd Rank (1903) - Interned by US after the Battle of Tsushima (1905), released 1905, reclassified to aviso in 1906 and yacht 1908, equipped by hydroplanes (first in the Russian Navy) 1914 and non-officially classified as hydroplane cruiser, captured by White Army 1919, interned by France in Bizerte 1920, returned to Soviet Russia 1924, sold for BU and BU 1934

Torpedo cruisers The Russian Navy classified these ships as "minnyi kreiser" \ «минный крейсер» (Torpedo cruiser): something between cruiser and torpedo boat, and the direct predecessor of destroyers, but were rather larger and stronger than the destroyers of the 1900s (decade). The ships were purposed to struggle with an opponent's torpedo boats, as well as to serve as a torpedo boat squadron leader, escort ship, tow-ship, and other missions. Later, the first Russian destroyers were originally classified as torpedo cruisers.

Leytenant Ilyin class (2 units) Leytenant Ilyin \ «Лейтенант Ильин» (1886 Baltic Fleet) - Aviso 1907, decommissioned 1911 Kapitan Saken \ «Капитан Сакен» (1886 Black Sea Fleet) - Harbour vessel Bombory \ «Бомборы» 1907, decommissioned 1909 Kazarskii class (6 units) Kazarskii \ «Казарский» (1889 Elbing, Black Sea Fleet) - Aviso 1907, laid up 1925 Voyevoda \ «Воевода» (1892 Elbing, Baltic Fleet) - Aviso 1907, captured by Finland 1918, sold to Finland 1922, served as gunboat until 1940 Posadnik \ «Посадник» (1892 Elbing, Baltic Fleet) - Served at Mediterranean Sea in late 1890s, aviso 1907, captured by Finland 1918, sold to Finland 1922, used as gunboat, minelayer and patrol boat until 1927, BU 1964 Vsadnik \ «Всадник» (1893 Siberian Flotilla) - Sank in Port Arthur 1904, refloated by Japan and commissioned as gunboat Makikumo 1906, BU 1914 Gaidamak \ «Гайдамак» (1893 Siberian Flotilla) - Scuttled in Port Arthur 1904, refloated by Japan and commissioned as gunboat Shikinami 1906, BU 1914 Griden‘ \ «Гридень» (1893 Black Sea Fleet) - Aviso 1907, delivered to Corps of Frontier Guard Abrek \ «Абрек» (1896) - Operated at Mediterranean Sea 1899–1904, delivered to Corps of Frontier Guard 1908, mobilized as aviso 1914, laid up 1921–1926, mother ship 1940, BU 1948

Battlecruisers