The eight "Fidonisy"-class destroyers were ordered on 17 March 1915 at a cost of 2.2 million rubles each. All of them received names in honor of the victories of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov. Among these was "Kerch", commemorating Ushakov's victory at the Battle of Kerch Strait in 1790. After being added to the Black Sea Fleet ship list on 2 July 1915, "Kerch" was laid down in the Russud Shipyard in Nikolayev on 29 October 1915. The ship was launched on 18 May 1916 and completed on 27 June 1917. She was assigned to the Third Division of Destroyers and escorted a minelaying mission in July. The navy ceased offensive operations against the Central Powers in early November in response to the Bolshevik Decree on Peace before a formal Armistice was signed the next month. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks the following month.