The lead ship of her class and based on the designs of the Union's Passaic-Class monitors.
She entered Russian service in 1865 and cost nearly double what was proposed. She was assigned to the Baltic Fleet. All of her sister ships except the Latnik, made a port visit to Stockholm, Sweden July-August 1865.
Sometime after she was completed, an armored ring was fitted around the base of the turret to prevent splinters from jamming it. Later an armored bulwark was fitted to the top of the turret to provide protection for crewmen up there.
Three sponsons were added, probably during the 1870s, to the upper portion of each turret to mount a light gun, probably a 1,75-inch Engstrem gun.
Little is known about the ship's naval career except that she was laid up each winter when the Gulf of Finland froze. She was reclassified as a coast defense ironclad on February 13, 1892. It was stricken in August 1900 and in 1903, was converted into a coal barge with the removal of its turret, her side armor and wooden backing.
It served in that capacity until it was abandoned by the Soviets when they were forced to withdraw from Finland according to the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and was later scrapped by the Fins.
--Old B-Runner
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