Soviet cruiser Nikolayev

Nikolayev in 1986
History
Soviet Union
Name	Nikolayev
Namesake	Nikolayev
Builder	61 Communards Shipyard
Laid down	25 June 1968
Launched	19 December 1969
Commissioned	31 December 1971
Decommissioned	3 July 1992
Fate	Scrapped, 1994
General characteristics
Class and type	Kara-class cruiser
Displacement	8,200 tons standard 9,700 tons full load[1]
Length	173.2 m (568 ft)
Beam	18.6 m (61 ft)
Draught	6.7 m (22 ft)
Propulsion	2 shaft COGAG, 4 gas turbines, 120,000 hp (89 MW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi)
Complement	380
Armament	2 quad SS-N-14 Silex anti-submarine missiles 2 twin SA-N-3 Goblet surface-to-air missile launchers (80 missiles) SA-N-4 Gecko surface-to-air missile launchers (40 missiles) 2 twin 76mm AK-726 dual purpose guns 4 30mm AK-630 CIWS 2 × 5 533 mm PTA-53-1134B torpedo tubes 2 RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers 2 RBU-1000 anti-submarine rocket launchers
Aircraft carried	1 Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone-A' or Kamov Ka-27 'Helix'

Nikolayev was the lead ship of the Kara-class cruisers of the Soviet Navy. She was launched on 19 December 1969 and commissioned on 31 December 1971 at the 61 Communards Shipyard.^[2] On 8 February 1972, she became part of the 30th Surface Ship Division of the Black Sea Fleet.^[3] Between 26 September–1 October 1973, she paid a visit to Split, Yugoslavia, and between 15–21 April 1981 to Havana, Cuba. On 9 April 1984 she was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet. On 16 July 1986 at night, she collided with destroyer Strogy (1967) during the exercises in the Sea of Japan. After light repairs at Dalzavod, Vladivostok, she made a transition to Sevastopol, and then Nikolayev. On 1 November 1987, Nikolayev was delivered to Nikolayev for major repairs. In April 1992, the repairs were cancelled and on 29 October 1992, she was decommissioned. On 10 August 1994, she was towed for scrapping in India.^[1]