She was built as a large anti-submarine destroyer by 61 Kommunara SY 445, Nikolayev North Shipyard, Ukraine, for the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down on June 25, 1968, and she was launched on Dec. 19, 1969 as the NIKOLAYEV also given as NIKOLAEV. The stamp shows the ship’s name as written in the Ukraine. She is one of the NIKOLAYEV-class also known by NATO as the KARA-class, and was commissioned on Dec. 31, 1971.
Displ. 8,200 tons standard, 8,825 tons full load; 173.4m x 18.5m x 6.4m (draught); GOGAG 3M-62/GTZA cruise gas turbines, 12,000shp., 18 kn, 4M*E/GTU-12A boost gas turbines, 80,000 shp, twin shafts, speed on all engines 30 kn, range 14,500 miles; Armament: 2 - quadruple Rastrub (SS-N-14 'Silex') ASW launchers with eight missiles, Shtorm (SAN-3 'Goblet') SAM launchers with 72 missiles, 2 twin OSA-M (SA-N-4 'Gecko') SAM launchers with 40 missiles, 2 - 76mm DP guns, 4 - 30mm AK-630 GIWS. 2 -12 barrel RBU 6000 ASW rocket launchers, 2 – RBU 1000 ASW rocket launchers; carried 1 Ka 27 'Helix' ASW helicopter; crew 400.
The design was the first large Soviet surface warship built in many years and was evidently intended to boost the blue water anti-submarine capability of the Soviet Union navy. After commissioning, she became a unit of the Black Sea Fleet of the Soviet Union.
Her first official foreign visit was to Split in the former Yugoslavia, between Sept. 26 and Oct. 1, 1973. After this, she mainly took part in fleet exercises until April 15-21, 1981 when she visited Havana, Cuba. From April 9, 1984, she was a unit of the Pacific Fleet. On Nov. 1, 1987, she arrived at Nikolayev for repair, but after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the repair was not completed and she was transferred to the Navy of Ukraine. On Dec. 31, 1992, she was struck from the Russian navy list.
On Aug. 10, 1994, she left Nikolayev shipyard under tow for a scrap yard in India.
Ukraine 2004, 2.50 UAH
Source: The Encyclopedia of Warships;