Soviet cruiser Admiral Zozulya

Envisioned as the first of a large class of a more balanced follow-on ships to the specialist anti-ship Project 58 class, Admiral Zozulya was larger, displacing 5,340 tonnes (5,260 long tons; 5,890 short tons) standard and 7,170 tonnes (7,060 long tons; 7,900 short tons) full load, and stretching 156.2 m (512 ft) in length.[lower-alpha 1] Beam was 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in) and draught 5.6 m (18 ft 4 in). The hull was made of steel upon which was mounted a large aluminium-magnesium alloy superstructure dominated by a radar complex including MR-500, MR-310 Angara-A, MRP-11-12, MRP-13-14 Uspekh-U and MRP-15-16 Zaliv search radars and a Volga navigation radar.[2]

Power was provided by two TV-12 steam turbines, fuelled by four KVN-98/64 boilers and driving two fixed pitch screws that provided 46,000 horsepower (34,000 kW).[3] The ship carried 1,690 tonnes (1,660 long tons; 1,860 short tons) of fuel which gave a range of 10,500 nmi (19,446 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h).[4] Maximum design speed was 34 knots (63 km/h).[3] Electricity was provided by a TD-760 driven off steam drawn from the main boilers which powered a 380 V AC circuit at a frequency of 50 Hz.[5]

Admiral Zozulya was originally intended to mount the P-500 Bazalt (NATO reporting name SS-N-12 'Sandbox') but protracted development meant that instead the same 4K44 missiles (SS-N-3 'Shaddock') as the Project 50 warships mounted were retained. However, they were launched from two specially designed twin KT-35-1134 P-35 launchers mounted midships.[6] Similarly, anti-aircraft defence was to be based around the new M-11 Shtorm (SA-N-3 'Goblet') system but this did not become operational until 1969.[6] Instead, protection was enhanced by mounting two twin ZIF-102 M-1 Volna-M launchers, one forward and the other aft, and up to 64 4K91 (SA-N-1 'Goa') missiles, which was supplemented by two twin 57 mm (2 in) AK-725 guns.[4]

Defence against submarines was provided by two quintuple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo launchers, a pair of six-barrelled RBU-1000 Smerch-3 launchers for 300 mm (12 in) anti-submarine rockets and a pair of twelve-barrelled RBU-6000 Smerch-2 launchers for 213 mm (8 in) anti-submarine rockets. A vastly improved anti-submarine sensor suite was also fitted, with MG-312M Titan and GAS-311 Vychegda sonars, the MG-26 Khosta underwater communication system and both MI-110R and MI-110K anti-submarine search stations.[7] Fire control was directed by two 4R90 Yatagan units along with Binom-1134, MR-103 Bars, Grozna-1134 and Burya-1134 fire control systems along with a ARP-50R radio direction finder. Threat response was coordinated with a Planshet-1134 combat information control system.[7]

The ship was equipped with an aft landing pad and hangar for a ranging Kamov Ka-25 helicopter, the first installed on a Soviet cruiser.[8]

In the early 1970s, Admiral Zozulya was upgraded with a MR-212 Vaygach navigation radar added and the missiles updated to 4M44. The ship underwent extensive modernisation between 1985 and 1991, including the addition of four AK-630 close-in weapon systems, with their attendant fire control radars, installed near the bridge to improve anti-missile defence.[9]

Admiral Zozulya was approved by Nikita Khrushchev as part of Sergey Gorshkov's buildup of the Soviet Navy.[10] The vessel was laid down on 26 July 1964 at A.A. Zhdanov in Leningrad with yard number 791, and launched on 17 October 1965.[11] The total cost of construction was 32 million rubles.[12]