NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
Щербаков [Shcherbakov]		627	194 Marti Yd, Leningrad	6/1951	17.3.1954	---	cancelled 9.1959
Козьма Минин [Koz'ma Minin]		628	194 Marti Yd, Leningrad	6/1952	---	---	cancelled 1953
Дмитрий Донской [Dmitriy Donskoy]		629	194 Marti Yd, Leningrad	4/1953	---	---	cancelled 1953
Адмирал Корнилов [Admiral Kornilov]		395	444 Marti Yd, Nikolayev	16.11.1951	17.3.1954	---	cancelled 9.1959
Кронштадт [Kronshtadt]		453	189 Ordzhonikidze Yd, Leningrad	4/1953	11.9.1954	---	cancelled 9.1959
Таллин [Tallin]		454	189 Ordzhonikidze Yd, Leningrad	28.9.1953	28.5.1955	---	cancelled 9.1959
Варяг [Variag]		460	189 Ordzhonikidze Yd, Leningrad	5.2.1954	5.6.1956	---	cancelled 9.1959
Архангельск [Arkhangelsk]		303	402 Yd, Molotovsk	1953	---	---	cancelled 9.1959
Владивосток [Vladivostok]		304	402 Yd, Molotovsk	1953	---	---	cancelled 9.1959

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	13720
Displacement full, t	16780
Length, m	210.0
Breadth, m	21.99
Draught, m	7.40
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 TV-7 geared steam turbines sets, 6 KV-68 boilers
Power, h. p.	110000
Max speed, kts	31.5
Fuel, t	oil
Endurance, nm(kts)	7000(17)
Armour, mm	belt: 100 - 20, bulkheads: 120 - 100, deck: 50 - 20, turrets: 175, barbettes: 130, CT: 130
Armament	4 x 3 - 152/59 MK-5-bis, 6 x 2 - 100/70 SM-5-1s, 6 x 4 - 45/89 ZIF-68, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, 40 - 132 mines
Electronic equipment	Rif-A, Giuys-2, Fut-N, 2x Neptun, 2x Zalp, 2x Yakor'-M, Fut-B-68bis, Zaria radars, Tamir-5N sonar, Korall-11A, Korall-14A ECM suites
Complement	1270

Standard scale images

Project history

The postwar ten-year plan originally called for thirty 68bis project cruisers. One account of the Sverdlov claims that five were dropped in favour of the three Project 82s, but it seems more likely that the five Chapaevs counted as the first five postwar cruisers. At Stalin's death, the class was cut to twenty-one ships. After the first fifteen were laid down, the Soviet Navy ordered the remaining six (none was completed) protected against radioactive fallout as Project 68bis-ZIF. It appears that plans were soon made to convert all these ships to missile units (Protect 75). The early 1956 decision to stop construction presumably followed the October 1955 cancellation of Project 75. When work stopped, Admiral Kornilov passed builder trials, and she alone of the incomplete ships was hulked. In 1959 all the others were ordered broken up by the end of 1961.

Ship protection

Main 100mm belt (3.3m high) protected space between end barbettes and was closed by 120mm fore and 100mm aft bulkheads, there was thin 20mm belt between citadel and ship ends. 50mm flat main deck connected with upper edge of main belt, outside citadel it was 20mm. Steering gear compartment had 100mm sides and 20mm roof. CT had 130mm sides, 100mm roof and 30mm deck, secondary CT had 10mm protection. Main turrets had 175mm faces, 65mm sides, 60mm rears and 75mm roofs. Barbettes were protected by 130mm armour. Secondary turrets had 20mm faces, sides and rears, 10mm roofs and 20mm barbettes.