# Riga-class frigate

The Riga class was the NATO reporting name for class of frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation for these ships was Storozhevoi Korabl (escort ship) Project 50 Gornostay (Ermine stoat). The Riga class was analogous to World War II era destroyer escorts.

## Design

These ships were a smaller and simpler version of the Kola class. According to Conway's, this simpler group of ships were ordered by Joseph Stalin who was concerned about the cost of large ships. The class introduced high pressure steam turbines and new radars into Soviet service. The bridge, gun turrets, and magazines were covered in 8 mm (0.31 in)-thick armour. The main armament comprised three single dual-purpose 100 mm (3.9 in) guns with remote power control and a single Yakor type fire control director. The machinery comprised two TV-9 steam turbines with two boilers and had initial problems with reliability.
The Project 50 Riga class was a rather simplistic and straight forward design. With their basic capabilities, moderate size and ease of operation, they made perfect export vessels for smaller navies where such ships could easily fill the multi-purpose role, taking the place of large minesweepers and actual destroyers.
There was a modernisation programme designated Project 50 A in the late 1950s early 1960s. This included fitting anti-submarine rocket launchers (RBU-2500) new radar and adding permanent ballast for improved stability.

## Ships

A total of 68 ships were built by Nikolayev yards (20 ships), Komsomolsk-on-Amur (7 ships) and Kaliningrad (the lead yard 41 ships). Most ships were decommissioned by 1980, however some were sold to China. The programme was cut short by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956 as the ships were becoming obsolete and the last ship was completed in 1959.
Riga-class frigates of the Soviet Union :
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
| Leopard | Kaliningrad | 21 December 1952 | 30 April 1953 | 30 April 1954 | 3 September 1981 | |
| Bars | Kaliningrad | 25 April 1952 | 25 July 1953 | 30 June 1954 | 19 April 1990 | |
| Rosomakha | Kaliningrad | 19 June 1952 | 16 August 1953 | 30 April 1954 | 4 May 1989 | |
| Sobol | Kaliningrad | 27 September 1952 | 5 November 1953 | 13 October 1954 | 31 October 1971 | Transferred to East Germany in 1956 as Karl Marx |
| Barsuk | Kaliningrad | 2 December 1952 | 27 February 1954 | 15 September 1954 | 28 May 1980 | Sank as target ship in 1981 |
| Kuguar | Kaliningrad | 27 March 1953 | 31 December 1953 | 31 August 1954 | 19 April 1990 | |
| Yenot | Kaliningrad | 17 October 1953 | 9 April 1954 | 30 October 1954 | 10 October 1969 | Transferred to East Germany in 1959 as Friedrich Engels |
| Filin | Kaliningrad | 27 August 1953 | 6 June 1954 | 9 December 1954 | 1979 | Transferred to Finland in 1964 as Uusimaa |
| Luń | Kaliningrad | 20 October 1953 | 5 August 1954 | 27 December 1954 | 4 May 1989 | |
| Kobchik | Kaliningrad | 26 December 1953 | 2 November 1954 | 31 May 1955 | 1993 | Transferred to Bulgaria in 1985 as Bodri |
| Tur | Kaliningrad | 24 March 1954 | 16 December 1954 | 31 May 1955 | 1 October 1969 | Transferred to East Germany in 1957 as Karl Liebknecht |
| Loś | Kaliningrad | 26 May 1954 | 29 March 1955 | 31 July 1955 | 20 July 1987 | |
| Oleń | Kaliningrad | 2 August 1954 | 29 April 1954 | 27 August 1955 | 29 August 1977 | Transferred to East Germany in 1956 as Ernst Thälmann |
| SKR-76 | Kaliningrad | 29 April 1957 | 16 December 1957 | 15 June 1958 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-69 | Kaliningrad | 29 July 1956 | 28 December 1956 | 30 May 1957 | 1985 | Transferred to Finland in 1964 as Hämeenmaa |
| SKR-70 | Kaliningrad | 13 August 1956 | 19 February 1957 | 20 June 1957 | 24 June 1991 | |
| SKR-71 | Kaliningrad | 21 September 1956 | 3 April 1957 | 13 July 1957 | 24 June 1991 | |
| SKR-72 | Kaliningrad | 26 January 1957 | 16 May 1957 | 26 September 1957 | 1 September 1994 | Abandoned at the mouth of the Iokanga River, Murmansk Oblast. Wreck is visible as of 2022. |
| SKR-73 | Kaliningrad | 24 December 1956 | 21 June 1957 | 30 September 1957 | 11 February 1991 | |
| SKR-74 | Kaliningrad | 4 February 1957 | 27 July 1957 | 26 November 1957 | 25 June 1988 | |
| SKR-54 | Kaliningrad | 20 December 1954 | 31 August 1955 | 31 December 1955 | 20 June 1987 | |
| SKR-75 | Kaliningrad | 14 March 1957 | 3 September 1957 | 30 December 1957 | 25 June 1988 | |
| SKR-77 | Kaliningrad | 17 June 1957 | 20 January 1958 | 29 June 1958 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-80 | Kaliningrad | 17 September 1957 | 13 March 1958 | 31 July 1958 | 20 June 1987 | |
| SKR-81 | Kaliningrad | 17 October 1957 | 15 April 1958 | 31 August 1958 | 26 June 1988 | |
| SKR-10 | Kaliningrad | 27 November 1957 | 30 May 1958 | 21 October 1958 | 20 June 1987 | |
| SKR-4 | Kaliningrad | 22 January 1958 | 30 July 1958 | 13 December 1958 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-5 | Kaliningrad | 24 December 1957 | 1 September 1958 | 31 December 1958 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-8 | Kaliningrad | 24 April 1958 | 18 October 1958 | 31 December 1958 | 19 April 1990 | |
| SKR-14 | Kaliningrad | 29 May 1958 | 9 January 1959 | September 1959 | 20 June 1987 | |
| SKR-15 | Kaliningrad | 10 July 1958 | 27 February 1959 | 1 October 1959 | 19 April 1990 | |
| SKR-59 | Kaliningrad | 21 June 1955 | 2 February 1956 | 25 May 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-60 | Kaliningrad | 8 December 1955 | 13 April 1956 | 29 June 1956 | 25 June 1988 | |
| SKR-61 | Kaliningrad | 17 October 1955 | 24 May 1956 | 23 August 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-62 | Kaliningrad | 21 December 1955 | 27 June 1956 | 25 September 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-64 | Kaliningrad | 8 February 1956 | 1 August 1956 | 31 October 1956 | 1 August 1987 | |
| SKR-55 | Kaliningrad | 18 February 1955 | 30 September 1955 | 31 December 1955 | 20 June 1987 | |
| SKR-65 | Kaliningrad | 28 March 1956 | 4 September 1956 | 27 December 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-68 | Kaliningrad | 17 May 1956 | 27 October 1956 | 23 March 1957 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-56 | Kaliningrad | 16 April 1955 | 6 January 1956 | 21 May 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-50 | Kaliningrad | 12 October 1954 | 16 August 1955 | 3 January 1956 | 20 June 1987 | |
| Gornostay | Nikolayev | 20 December 1951 | 30 June 1952 | 30 June 1954 | 24 June 1991 | |
| Pantera | Nikolayev | 21 February 1952 | 20 August 1952 | 21 May 1954 | 25 June 1988 | |
| Ryś | Nikolayev | 22 April 1952 | 31 December 1952 | 21 May 1954 | 19 April 1990 | |
| Yaguar | Nikolayev | 23 July 1952 | 14 February 1953 | 24 April 1954 | 13 August 1987 | |
| Sarych | Nikolayev | 24 September 1952 | 31 March 1953 | 31 August 1954 | 1986 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Jos Sudarso (351) |
| Puma | Nikolayev | 25 November 1952 | 29 April 1953 | 31 August 1954 | 1973 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Slamet Rijadi (352) |
| Volk | Nikolayev | 26 February 1953 | 23 July 1953 | 31 October 1954 | 4 October 1988 | |
| Kunitsa | Nikolayev | 27 May 1953 | 30 November 1953 | 23 December 1954 | 4 May 1989 | |
| Korsak | Nikolayev | 1 August 1953 | 29 April 1954 | 30 December 1954 | 1974 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Ngurah Rai (353) |
| Norka | Nikolayev | 12 January 1954 | 29 April 1954 | 30 April 1955 | 4 May 1989 | |
| Voron | Nikolayev | 12 March 1954 | 11 November 1954 | 18 June 1955 | 4 May 1989 | |
| Grizon | Nikolayev | 15 April 1954 | 29 November 1954 | 30 June 1955 | 1971 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Monginsidi (354) |
| SKR-51 | Nikolayev | 25 June 1954 | 26 February 1955 | 28 September 1955 | 24 June 1991 | |
| SKR-52 | Nikolayev | 1 September 1954 | 15 April 1955 | 26 November 1955 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-53 | Nikolayev | 20 November 1954 | 15 April 1955 | 31 December 1955 | 1989 | Transferred to Bulgaria in 1958 as Smeli |
| SKR-57 | Nikolayev | 23 December 1954 | 21 July 1955 | 28 February 1956 | 4 May 1989 | |
| SKR-58 | Nikolayev | 15 March 1955 | 21 July 1955 | 7 May 1956 | 19 April 1990 | |
| SKR-63 | Nikolayev | 5 May 1955 | 28 October 1955 | 30 May 1956 | | |
| SKR-66 | Nikolayev | 10 February 1956 | 30 May 1956 | 29 September 1956 | 5 May 1989 | |
| SKR-67 | Nikolayev | 1 March 1956 | 10 July 1956 | 22 December 1956 | 1990 | Transferred to Bulgaria in 1957 as Druzki |
| Zubr | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 29 August 1952 | 9 July 1953 | 31 May 1954 | 1971 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Hang Tuah (358) |
| Bizon | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 4 October 1952 | 9 July 1953 | 30 June 1954 | 1985 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Kakiali (359) |
| Aist | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 25 December 1952 | 25 August 1953 | 27 August 1954 | 1986 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Lambung Mangkurat (357) |
| Giena | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 5 March 1953 | 18 May 1954 | 25 October 1954 | 19 June 1981 | |
| Pelikan | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 1 August 1953 | 18 April 1954 | 30 November 1954 | 1981 | Transferred to Indonesia in 1964 as RI Nuku (360) |
| Pingvin | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 10 September 1953 | 13 August 1954 | 31 December 1954 | 25 June 1988 | |
| Gepard | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | 21 December 1953 | 13 August 1954 | 31 December 1954 | 31 May 1984 | |

### Export operators
#### Bulgaria

    Bulgarian Navy : 3 ships (Druzki, Smeli and Bodri) operated 1957–1990, decommissioned 1990

#### People's Republic of China

    4 ships were built in kits for the People's Liberation Army Navy to be licence assembled in China as Chengdu class (Type 6601/01) frigate. After that, PRC built 5 ships with a different gun arrangements as Jiangnan class (Type 065) frigate, reverse-engineered copies from type 6601.

#### Finland

    Finnish Navy : 2 ships (Uusimaa and Hämeenmaa) acquired 1964, decommissioned 1979 and 1985 (source Conway's)

#### East Germany

    East German Navy : 4 ships (Ernst Thälmann, Karl Marx, Karl Liebknecht, Friedrich Engels)

#### Indonesia

    Indonesian Navy: 8 ships (Jos Sudarso, Slamet Rijadi, Ngurah Rai, Monginsidi, Lambung Mangkurat, Hang Tuah, Kakiali, Nuku) transferred 1962–1964, decommissioned 1971–1986 (Source Conway's)