Concept/Program: Freighter converted to seaplane carrier 1913-1915. Operated in northern waters.
Design/Conversion: Simple conversion, small hangars fitted over well decks fore and aft.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Retained by the Soviets postwar until returned to merchant service in 1923.
Immobilized/inactive after 4/1918. Returned to merchant service as Sovet in 1923. Fate unknown.
Concept/Program: A former armed yacht/small cruiser converted to operate seaplanes in the Black Sea Fleet.
Design/Conversion: Hoisting booms and servicing facilties for 4 seaplanes fitted.
Departure from Service/Disposal: After 4/1918 she went to the Ukrainians, then the Germans, the British, the White Russians and finally the French before being scrapped.
To Ukraine 4/1918, seized by the Germans at Sevastopol, surrendered to the British 11/1918, transferred to the White Russians 9/1919. Interned at Algiers in 1920, taken over by France 1928 and scrapped in 1934.
Concept/Program: Former passenger ships taken over for Black Sea Fleet service during WWI. Served as combination seaplane carriers and auxiliary cruisers.
Design/Conversion: Very simple conversion. Seaplane working deck built up over the main deck aft, with hoisting booms fitted on the aft mast.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Both were inactive after 4/1917, seized by the Germans 3/1918 and surrendered to the British 11/1918, both sold into merchant service postwar.
Inactive after 4/1917, renamed Respublikanets 11 May 1917. Seized by the Germans 4/1918 at Sevastopol, surrendered to the British 11/1918. Sold into merchant service as Lamartine postwar. Fate unknown.
Inactive after 4/1917, renamed Aviator 5/1917. Seized by the Germans 4/1918 at Sevastopol, surrendered to the British 11/1918. Sold into merchant service as Pierre Loti postwar. Fate unknown.
Concept/Program: A Romanian passenger ship loaned in 1916 for Black Sea service. Served as combination seaplane carrier and auxiliary cruiser. Two sisters apparently saw service only as auxiliary cruisers, perhaps with one or two seaplanes.
Design/Conversion: Very simple conversion. Seaplane working deck built up over the main deck aft, with hoisting booms fitted on the aft mast.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Captured by the Germans 4/1918, to the British 11/1918, and returned to her owners.
Seized by the Germans 4/1918 at Sevastopol, surrendered to the British 11/1918. Returned to owners 1918. Fate unknown.
Concept/Program: The first big Soviet cruisers of postwar design, intended as ASW ships to counter US SSBNs in the Mediterranean. An interesting combination of cruiser and aviation features, but unsuccessful. They were intended to operate with AAW and ASuW escorts in task forces. A third ship of this general type, named Kiyev was cancelled in 1968-69; she was either an anti-ship missile version of this design or enlarged aviation version.
Design: Flight deck aft with hangar below, AAW and ASW weapons forward, large superstructure midships. Carried a full range of cruiser weapons and sensors, but suffered from excessive amounts of new, untried and experimental equipment. They trimmed down by the bow, pitched excessively, and generally were poor sea boats. Suffered extensive machinery problems; maximum sustained speed was 26 knots. The elevators were very small, so larger and newer aircraft could not be accommodated. The air group was considered to be too small. These ships were considered to be failures.
Modifications: Torpedo tubes removed during the 1970's.
Operational: Based in the Black Sea and saw service mostly in the Mediterranean.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Disposed of following end of the Cold War.
This ship suffered extreme machinery problems and her plant was rebuilt twice. Used for VTOL trials in 1973. Suffered severe fire 2 February 1975. Stationary at Sevastopol after 1983, except for one short cruise late in 1991. Remained nominally in service, but inoperable, as an accommodations hulk until stricken 7 November 1996. Towed to India for scrapping 6/1997.
Served as mine countermeasures helicopter ship at Suez, 1974. Stricken due to poor condition 24 June 1991 but hulk remained at Sevastopol through 1995. Scrapped in Greece starting 9/1995.
Concept/Program: Large VTOL cruisers developed from the Moskva concept. These ships started as an enlarged Moskva design, but evolved into a totally new ship. They had multiple missions - offensive and defensive ASW, fleet operations, support of amphibious operations. Although theoretically impressive, they were less than fully successful, and their VTOL "fighter" (Yak-38) was nearly useless. A 4th ship of the class was completed to an extensively modified design.
Design: Angled port-side flight deck intended to provide additional space for VTOL aircraft takeoffs, not for conventional flight operations as in US ships. Large island on the starboard side, cruiser-type weapons forward, aircraft parking/storage beside and abaft island. Large hangar deck, but with small elevators. Not designed for rolling takeoffs; the Yak-38 could only land and take off vertically. Machinery was a doubled version of the Moskva machinery, and equally deficient. Trimmed down by the stern; aviation features poorly designed. Experience showed these ships to be highly flamable; all suffered at least one significant fire. Not a successful design.
Variations: These ships were built over a long period of time, so there were various evolutionary upgrades.
Modifications: None underwent significant modifications.
Departure from Service/Disposal: These ships had been rendered inoperable by the early 1990's due to maintenance-intensive design and lack of repair facilties following the breakup of the USSR.
Assigned to the Northern Fleet. Overhauled at Nikolayev 1985. Stricken due to poor condition 30 June 1993 but retained as parts source for Gorshkov. Sold and scrapped in India 2000.
Assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Laid up in reserve 9/92, stricken 30 June 1993. Sold 14 Nov 1994, sale cancelled, agreement to scrap in South Korea signed 1 Aug 1995, arrived at Pohang, South Korea for scrapping 18 Jan 1996; scrapped 1997.
Concept/Program: An improved and updated version of the Kiev; served as an operational testbed for equipment intended for Kuznetsov. Lasted only 5 years in service.
Design: Generally similar to Kiev, but with different weapons and electronics fit, and aviation features optimized for the cancelled Yak-141.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Lasted only 5 years before being rendered inoperable by machinery problems, and later damaged by fire. The ship remains nominally in service but is unlikely to ever deploy again. There have long been rumors that India would buy this ship; in 1998 India confirmed that it intended to acquire the ship, but by mid-1999 it seemed unlikely that the deal would be completed. There are now reports that Russia intends to rehabilitate the ship for further service as a helicopter carrier. However, it seems most likely that she will remain inactive until she is finally scrapped.
Assigned to the Northern Fleet. Renamed Gorshkov 4 Oct 1990. Inoperable after major machinery casualty 1992, major fire in 1993. Boiler explosion and fire 2 February 1994, under repair until mid-1995; went to sea briefly 5/1995. Nominally in service, but probably not fully operational and probably not fully crewed. Unlikely to ever go to sea again.
Concept/Program: The first true Soviet carriers, intended for overseas deployments, intervention, etc. in the manner of US carriers. An adventurous design, but not fully successful. The second ship was left incomplete following the breakup of the USSR.
Design: Generally based on the Kiev hull but with significant enlargement and improvements. Full flight deck, angled landing deck, but a ski-jump is fitted instead of catapults, due to failures in the catapult development program. Extremely heavy missile armament, including heavy SSMs in VLS set into the flight deck. Intended to operate navalized versions of regular Soviet fighter and attack aircraft, plus naval helicopters. Aviation features are reported to be poorly designed. The ship uses the Kiev machinery and has suffered machinery problems.
Operational: Did not become operational until 1995. Has made only one deployment, and the possibility of future deployments is uncertain. Air wing was made up of Su-27 variants and variants of the standard Soviet/Russian shipboard helicopters.
Deployed to the Mediterreanean late 1995 into early 1996, then remained in port for overhaul through 1998. Is now in service, but probably not fully operational.
Sold to Chinese interests 1998 for conversion to an entertainment complex, but did not leave the Black Sea until 1 November 2001.
Concept/Program: A follow-on to the Kuznetsov design, intended to be a fully capable CVN, equivalent to the US CVNs. The program was doomed by the fall of the USSR. A second ship was probably planned.
Design: Details uncertain. Would have been equipped with steam catapults and nuclear propulsion, probably a doubled Kirov plant.
