Sverdlov-class

The Sverdlov class, designated Project 68bis by the Soviet Union, was the final class of conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. Formally approved in 1947, the design was an improved and enlarged version of the pre-war Chapayev class (Project 68). The program was part of a fleet concept under Joseph Stalin to establish a global blue-water navy, though the project was reduced following his death in 1953. Of the 30 ships initially planned, 14 were completed between 1948 and 1959.

The design incorporated an all-welded hull with a double bottom and 23 watertight bulkheads. These vessels were configured for operations in the rough waters of the North Atlantic. Protection included armor plating on the hull belt, decks, turrets, and conning tower. The class carried an extensive radar suite for air search, navigation, and fire control. Beginning in the 1960s, several vessels underwent modifications to fulfill specialized roles. Project 68ER and Project 70E involved experimental missile installations on the Admiral Nakhimov and Dzerzhinsky. The Zhdanov and Admiral Senyavin were converted into command ships under Projects 68U1 and 68U2, which included the installation of helicopter decks and hangars on the latter. Other units updated to Project 68A standards received enlarged bridges and additional anti-aircraft mounts.

The class entered service in 1952 and remained operational with the Soviet and Russian navies until 1992. The Indonesian Navy also operated one vessel, the Ordzhonikidze, which was renamed KRI Irian in 1963. Primary roles included coastal defense, protection of regional interests in the Arctic and Mediterranean, and serving as a political presence in the Third World. The introduction of these cruisers prompted the Royal Navy to develop the Blackburn Buccaneer strike aircraft and retain the battleship HMS Vanguard in service to counter the class in the North Atlantic.

By the 1970s, the ships were primarily utilized as command platforms and naval gunfire support units for amphibious operations. Most vessels were relegated to reserve status by the early 1980s. The Mikhail Kutuzov is the only surviving member of the class and is preserved as a museum ship in Novorossiysk.