Kola-class

The Project 42 frigate, identified by the NATO reporting name Kola class, was a series of escort ships (Storozhevoi Korabl) built for the Soviet Navy. The design process began with a 1946 specification for a vessel analogous to World War II destroyer escorts or German torpedo boats. All ships were constructed at the Yantar Yard in Kaliningrad, representing the first major vessels built at the facility after it came under Soviet control. Although two design bureaus submitted proposals for both diesel and steam turbine propulsion, the Soviet Navy limited the program to eight ships because the design was considered too expensive for mass production. The class was succeeded by the smaller Riga-class frigate.

The vessels were designed for patrolling Soviet waters and escorting convoys. The construction featured a welded hull with longitudinal framing. The internal layout utilized a unit machinery arrangement, characterized by alternating boiler rooms and turbine rooms. For detection and tracking, the ships were equipped with radar and sonar systems.

The eight ships in the class—Sokol, Berkut, Kondor, Grif, Krechet, Orlan, Lev, and Tigr—entered service between 1951 and 1953. During their service history, the Sokol, Grif, and Orlan were transferred to the Caspian Sea. In 1962, the Kondor was lost following a grounding accident near Murmansk. The seven remaining vessels were retired from the Soviet Navy and scrapped during the 1970s.