The Vanya class were a series of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy between 1960 and 1973. The Soviet designation was Project 257.

Design Project 257D Two ships of different hull material were constructed as trial ships for a coastal minesweeper design for the Soviet Navy that required reduced detection signatures by various naval mine types. Hull one, dubbed Project 257D was made out of wood and hull two, dubbed 257M, was constructed of low-magnetic steel. The Soviet Navy selected the wooden hull version for mass production, which featured reduced signatures for magnetic, electric, acoustic and hydrodynamic mines compared to the . By using dielectric coating and insulation, special sound dampening machinery and low-noise propellers that utilised air bubble shields to mask them, the signatures were reduced by a factor of 50 for magnetic, 8 to 10 for acoustic, 5 for electric and significant reduction for hydrodynamic mines.

Designated ("Base Minesweeper"), the ships of the initial design measured long with a beam of and a draught of . They had a standard displacement of and at full load. The minesweepers were powered by two M-870-FTK lightweight high-speed diesel engines turning two propellers creating . This gave them a maximum speed of and a maximum range of at .

These were the first minesweepers in the Soviet fleet to have hydraulic sweep equipment. They primarily mounted three types of sweeps: television hunting tow sweep, electromagnetic sweep, and contact sweep. Only one type of sweep could be used at a time. The ships were also armed a pair of twin-mounted AK-230M autocannon which had been de-magnetized and carried eight naval mines themselves. The gun was controlled by a remote Kolonka-1 ringsight director.

Project 257D construction data Name Builder Commissioned Fate TM-2 Vladivostok Shipyard, No. 602 31 December 1964 Renamed BT-246 on 19 May 1966. TM-4 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1961 TM-5 Vladivostok Shipyard, No. 602 31 December 1964 Renamed BT-247 on 19 May 1966. TM-8 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1963 Renamed BT-178 on 19 May 1966. TM-10 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1964 TM-13 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1964 TM-14 Vladivostok Shipyard, No. 602 1965 Renamed BT-442 on 19 May 1966. TM-15 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1963 TM-18 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1962 TM-21 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1962 Renamed BT-211 on 19 May 1966. TM-22 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1963 Renamed BT-122 on 19 May 1966. TM-24 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1962 TM-25 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1962 Renamed BT-117 on 19 May 1966. TM-27 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1963 TM-29 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1963 TM-31 Petrozavodsk Shipyard, No. 789 1963 Renamed BT-231 in 1966. Renamed SR-229 on 30 April 1989. TM-35 Vladivostok Shipyard, No. 602 23 November 1964 Renamed BT-356 on 19 May 1966 TM-41 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 15 September 1965 Renamed BT-416 on 19 May 1966. TM-45 Primorskiy Shipyard No. 5, Leningrad 1965 Renamed Komsomolets Kirgizii in 1965. TM-45 Vladivostok Shipyard, No. 602 1965 Renamed BT-447 on 19 May 1966.

Project 257DM As the design advanced, it was found that the powerplant could handing more sweeps and an improved design with the capability of combatting magnetic-acoustic fused mines was initiated. This upgraded design, designated Project 257DM was equipped with new sweeps: loop coil/acoustic, solenoid/acoustic, and contact/acoustic. They could also operate against rising mines, a new concept coming into service by using a contact sweep paired with an acoustic sweep. Due to the design's effectiveness, they were utilized as convoy escorts in coastal waters.

Project 257DM construction data Name Builder Commissioned Fate BT-70 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 10 October 1965 BT-83 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1967 BT-103 Vladivostok Shipyard 1972 BT-124 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1966 BT-201 Vladivostok Shipyard 5 December 1968 BT-251 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1969 BT-255 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1967 BT-259 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1967 BT-261 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1967 BT-268 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1968 BT-271 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1969 BT-273 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1969 BT-275 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1970 BT-277 Vladivostok Shipyard 30 June 1969 BT-279 Vladivostok Shipyard 1969 BT-282 Vladivostok Shipyard 1967 BT-284 Vladivostok Shipyard 30 August 1968 BT-305 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 30 August 1970 BT-307 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1970 BT-312 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1970 BT-314 Vladivostok Shipyard 20 June 1970 BT-316 Vladivostok Shipyard 30 September 1970 BT-318 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1971 BT-329 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1969 BT-334 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 10 December 1968 BT-335 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1968 BT-338 Vladivostok Shipyard 1971 BT-449 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1966 Renamed OS-575 in 1982. BT-358 Vladivostok Shipyard 1971 TM-1 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1964 TM-6 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 25 September 1964 TM-9 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1964 TM-16 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 25 October 1964 TM-33 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1965 Renamed BT-33 on 19 May 1966. TM-37 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1965 Renamed BT-37 on 19 May 1966. TM-39 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1965 TM-43 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1966 TM-85 Vladivostok Shipyard 30 April 1967 TM-87 Vladivostok Shipyard 1966 TM-93 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1967

Project 257DT In 1974, one unit was modified and had its sweep gear removed. A small mast was installed amidships, and the guns were swapped out for twin-mounted versions. The vessel was equipped with two boats for mine disposal divers.

Project 699 The design underwent one further evolution, replacing the diesel engines with more powerful ones, capable of creating . This made it possible to use heavier sweeps such as barge and bottom contact sweeps. Three vessels were modernised and dubbed Project 699B, designated "Vanya-II" by NATO, were longer with a larger diesel exhaust amidships. They had a smaller displacement, registering standard and at full load. They had a range of at , carried 12 mines and were armed with a naval gun.

Project 699 construction data Name Builder Commissioned Fate BT-3 Avangard, Petrozavodsk 1965 Renamed BT-225 on 19 May 1966. BT-101 1967 BT-120 1966 Renamed BT-126 on 19 May 1966. BT-192 1968 BT-309 1967

Export In total nine ships were exported to Bulgaria and Syria. All nine ships were of one design, Project 277DMF. Ships of the project were of similar construction as those of the other projects but had glass-reinforced plastic-sheathed hulls and measured long, with a beam of and a draught of . They had a standard displacement of and at full load. They were powered by two Type 98B diesel engines that created that gave them a maximum speed of and maximum range of at . They were armed with two /65-calibre AK-230 naval guns placed in a single mount for anti-aircraft defence. They could also carry between eight and twelve naval mines. They had Don II navigational radar and a High Pole A identification friend or foe system and a crew of 30.

Bulgarian Navy Seven ships were transferred to the Bulgarian Navy in three batches during the Cold War. The first two pairs, in 1970 and 1971 respectively, coincided with a renewal of Bulgaria's postwar fleet that was prefaced by three consecutive Five-Year Plans. The final ships were acquired in 1985 during another attempt at fleet renewal, however, the poor Bulgarian economy and the breakup of the Warsaw Pact in the late 1980s saw no further acquisitions.

Bulgarian Project 277DMF construction data Hull number Name Builder Commissioned Fate 31 Iskar 32 Zibor 33 Dobrotich 34 Kiril Mintov Deleted 1992 35, 34 Ekstati Vinarov 36 Kapitan 1 Rang Dimitri Paskadev Deleted 1992

Syrian Navy Syria had longstanding links with the Soviet Union during the Cold War and in December 1972, the two ships were transferred to the Syrian Navy.

Syrian Project 277DMF construction data Hull number Name Builder Commissioned Fate 775 Kadisa 776 Yarmuk

See also List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number

Equivalent minesweepers of the same era

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