Protected Cruiser Varyag (1899) Russian Empire 1898-1925 The ship with six lives* The Russian cruiser Varyag was a ship that was commissioned in 1901 and played an important role in the Russo-Japanese War. The Varyag was part of the Russian Pacific Fleet, and was stationed in the port of Port Arthur in Manchuria when war … Read more
A Long lineage and new standard: Novik (1911) Russian Empire/Soviet Navy 1910-1941 In destroyer history, there are a few landmarks most authors agrees upon. Let’s cite for example the Spanish Destructor in 1886, recoignized generally as the earliest torpedo boat destroyer, the British Daring class in 1893, the US Bainbridge class inaugurated their own lineages, … Read more
Battleship Retvizan (1900) Russian Empire 1898-1905 Japanese Empire IJN Hizen 1908-1923 Retvizan was a Russian pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Russian Navy by the American Yard William Cramp & Sons, Russian shipyards being at full capacity. She was briefly assigned to the Baltic Fleet but soon transferred to the Far East in 1902, meeting … Read more
Peresvet, Pobeda, Oslyabya The Peresvet class were three pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy sent to reinforce newly acquired Port Arthur: The class comprised Peresvet, Pobeda and Oslyabya,all there quite distinctive with their tall, bulky hull, two-storey barbettes and three funnels. In the Pacific Squadron upon completion in 1901-1903 they fought at the Battles … Read more
Armoured Cruiser Ryurik (1892) Imperial Russian Navy, 1890-1904 The Russian pacific cruisers In 1881, the 20-year shipbuilding program, notably for the creation of the Pacific cruiser fleet, went along with the creation of squadrons of seagoing battleships. In grand total, Russia wanted a fleet 30 cruisers strong, with twenty-one light ones, classed as corvettes, nine … Read more
Armoured Cruiser Rurik (1906) Russian Empire The world’s largest cruiser in 1907. Rurik represented the pride of the Russian navy in 1914, before were introduced the first dreadnoughts. Her presence in the Baltic overshadowing the still vivid memory of the crushing defeat and humiliation of 1905. In fact, when she was laid down in August … Read more
WW1 Russian Battleships Russian Empire (1875-1919) – About 50 ships The origins: From ironclads to Coast Defense ships Historically, Russia embraced ironclad technology as soon as it was available, but the development of the first ship, Sevastopol, took some time, after the Crimean War. It started with two conventional frigates which were converted in 1864, … Read more
Borodino class battlecruisers (1915) Russia (1915) Borodino, Izmail, Kinburn, Navarin The First Russian Battlecruisers Artistic rendition of the Borodino, if completed. Among the various capital ships planned by the Russian admiralty during WW1, the Borodino class were certainly among the most impressive. They reached a stage well beyond paper stage: They were actually launched in … Read more
Pervozvanny class Battleships (1908) Russia (1908) – Andrei Pervozvanny, Imperator Pavel I The last Russian pre-dreadnoughts: The Andrei Pervozvanny class were the last Russian Imperial Navy pre-dreadnought battleships, tailored for the Baltic Fleet. They conceptualized by the Naval Technical Committee in 1903 deriving from the Borodino-class battleships but massive displacement and a secondary armament that … Read more
Russian cruiser Novik (1898) Russian Empire – Protected Cruiser A German built cruiser with two lives: The Imperial Russian navy Novik was ordered part of a program intended to boost the newly formed Pacific Fleet. The admiralty wanted a 3000-ton class scout cruiser. Since no yard had experience yet in this field, foreign shipbuilders were … Read more
