Russian ironclad Kniaz Pozharsky The Russian ironclad " Kniaz Pozharsky " ( ) was an iron - hulled armored frigate built for the Imperial Russian Navy during the 1860s . She was the first Russian armored ship to leave European waters when she cruised the Pacific Ocean in 1873 – 75 . The ship did not participate in the Russo - Turkish War of 1877 – 78 , and remained in the Baltic Sea until 1879 – 80 , when she made another cruiser to the Pacific . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was assigned to the Baltic Fleet for the rest of her career . She mainly served as a training ship after her refit in 1885 until she was hulked in 1909 and probably scrapped in 1911 . Design and description . Originally classified as an armored corvette , " Kniaz Pozharsky " was redesignated as an armored frigate on 20 November 1866 . She was laid out as a central battery ironclad with the armament concentrated amidships . The ship was fitted with a ram and her crew numbered approximately 495 officers and enlisted men . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was long at the waterline . She had a beam of and a draft of . The ship was designed to displace , but displaced as built , an increase of over . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was fitted with a double bottom and was considered to be a steady gun platform and a good sea boat . Propulsion . The ship had a simple horizontal direct - acting steam engine driving a single two - bladed propeller . Steam was provided by eight cylindrical boilers . The engine produced during sea trials which gave the ship a maximum speed around . " Kniaz Pozharsky " carried a maximum of of coal which gave her an economical range of . She was ship - rigged with three masts and a maximum sail area of . To reduce drag while under sail her funnel was retractable and her propeller could be hoisted into the hull . Armament . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was armed with eight Obukhov breech - loading guns . In an attempt to provide axial fire , the sides of the hull at the upper deck level were cut away in front of and behind the battery . While providing better coverage than the traditional broadside layout , this still left a considerable area on which no gun could bear . The solid shot of the 20 - caliber gun weighed approximately , while the gun itself weighed . The gun had a muzzle velocity of and was credited with the nominal ability to penetrate of wrought iron armor at the muzzle . Watts and Gardiner credit the ship with three spar torpedo es as well as three towed torpedo es , but these are not mentioned by Wright or Silverstone . Armour . Figures for " Kniaz Pozharsky " s armor protection vary between sources . They agree that she had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that had a total height of with below the waterline . Thicknesses for the belt are quoted from thick . The guns were protected by a section of 114 - millimeter armor , long ; no information on any armored transverse bulkheads is available . The armor was backed by of teak . Service . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was laid down on 30 November 1864 at the Mitchell Shipyard in Saint Petersburg with the name of " Pozharsky " , but it was changed before she was launched on 12 September 1867 . Sources differ on when the ship entered service ; they give either 1870 or 1873 . About 1873 " Kniaz Pozharsky " became the first Russian armored ship to deploy to the Pacific , but returned to the Baltic Fleet in 1875 . She remained in the Baltic Sea during the Russo - Turkish War and the ensuing war scare with Great Britain . The ship made another cruise to the Pacific in 1879 – 80 . " Kniaz Pozharsky " served as the flagship during the fleet maneuvers of 1884 and she was reviewed by Tsar Alexander III of Russia . The ship was extensively refitted the following year and received new boilers , her propeller was fixed in place and her retractable funnel was replaced by two fixed funnels . " Kniaz Pozharsky " was rearmed during the refit , but sources differ on the light guns fitted . Her 9 - inch guns were replaced by new , more powerful 35 - caliber guns , likely the model with a muzzle velocity of . Two , 23 - caliber guns were also fitted , possibly as chase gun s . Wright and Watts agree that eight 4 - pounder guns and four quick - firing gun s of unspecified size were added ; Silverstone does not mention the four quick - firers , but Gardiner says that four guns were fitted . The ship was reclassified as a " cruiser of the 1st rank " in 1892 and her light armament was modified by the substitution of four Hotchkiss gun s for four of the 4 - pounders and the addition of six Hotchkiss guns . Two above - water torpedo tube s were also added at this time . After her refit , " Kniaz Pozharsky " served mostly as a training ship with the Naval School Division , although she was not formally reclassified as a school ship until 24 March 1906 . After she was reclassified her armament was reduced to a single 6 - inch gun , four 4 - pounders , two 47 - millimeter and six 37 - millimeter Hotchkiss guns . The ship was hulked on 27 October 1909 and renamed " Blokshiv No . 1 " . She was struck from the Navy List on 14 April 1911 and probably scrapped shortly afterward because the elderly monitor was renamed as " Blokshiv No . 1 " that same day .