List of cruisers of the Russian Navy Cruisers of the Russian Imperial Navy ( 1873 – 1917 ) . Note on official classification . Until 1892 , there was no standardized name for ships of the cruiser type . They were classified as armoured frigate s , armoured corvette s and even screw corvettes . The " Cruiser " \ « крейсер » designation appeared in 1878 , but only for auxiliary non - protected ships . Starting in 1892 and up to 1907 , all of these ships were divided between 1st rank cruisers and 2nd rank cruisers , although this division did not coincide with the delineation between armoured cruiser s & protected cruiser s . The designation " auxiliary cruiser " officially appeared in 1904 . According to the new classification table of 1907 , all cruisers , except auxiliary ships , were divided between " armoured cruisers " and " cruisers " . During the first decades of the Soviet Navy the only one " cruiser " designation existed , but in 1949 cruisers were divided between " light cruisers " , " heavy cruisers " and " training cruisers " . Later " missile cruisers " , " anti - submarine cruisers " , " aircraft - carrying cruisers " , " heavy nuclear missile cruisers " appeared . Armoured cruiser . This type of warship was invented by Russians . The ships were intended to conduct the traditional cruiser operations against merchant ships and their protectors . For this reason , they had been armed with heavy main guns and medium armour to fight with light cruisers . The ships also possessed relatively high speed to escape from an opponent ' s battleships . All of them were officially classified as 1st rank cruisers and were assigned to the Baltic Fleet . Protected cruiser . Russia had nearly not developed this British - designed type of ship , and had instead concentrated on armoured cruisers . Most of these ships were classified officially as 1st rank cruisers , they were assigned to the Baltic Fleet , with the exception of a handful of ships . Yacht cruisers . These ships were simply yachts equipped with large calibre artillery . " Svetlana " was protected , but the others were not . Torpedo cruisers . The Russian Navy classified these ships as " minnyi kreiser " \ « минный крейсер » ( Torpedo Cruiser ) : something between cruiser and torpedo boat , and the direct predecessor of destroyer s , but were rather larger and stronger than the destroyers of the 1900s ( decade ) . The ships were purposed to struggle with an opponent ' s torpedo boats , as well as to serve as a torpedo boat squadron leader , escort ship , tow - ship , and other missions . Later , the first Russian destroyers were originally classified as torpedo cruisers . Battlecruisers . Actually , they were not battlecruisers , but rather fast super - dreadnoughts and the strongest warships of the world at the time of their launching . Non - protected & auxiliary cruisers . Commissioning of these ships was an extraordinary measure taken during the periods of political crises of 1878 and 1904 – 1905 . Auxiliary cruiser s , which were used in 1904 – 1905 , were specially constructed or reconstructed as ships of " double destination " : ocean liners at the times of peace and cruisers during war . Most of them were officially classified as cruisers and auxiliary cruisers and belonged to the Baltic Fleet ( but two ) . < br > Cruisers of the Soviet and modern Russian Navy . Light Cruisers ( KRL ) . Legkiy kreiser \ « лёгкий крейсер » ( КРЛ ) . Heavy cruisers ( TKR ) . Tyazhelyi kreiser \ « тяжёлый крейсер » ( ТКР ) . Prior to and during the Second World War , the Soviet Navy attempted to procure heavier cruiser types , including two different battlecruiser designs . Despite these attempts , not one ship of these types was commissioned into Soviet Navy . Guided Missile Cruisers ( RKR ) . Raketnyi kreiser \ « ракетный крейсер » ( РКР ) . Heavy Nuclear Guided Missile Cruisers ( TARKR ) . Tyazhelyi atomnyi raketnyi kreiser \ « тяжёлый атомный ракетный крейсер » ( ТАРКР ) . Were reclassified to Heavy Guided Missile Cruisers ( TRKR ) in 1997 . < br > Antisubmarine Cruisers ( PKR ) . Protivolodochnyi kreiser \ « противолодочный крейсер » ( ПКР ) . Helicopter - carrying cruisers . Ships were purposed to searching and destroying opponent ' s guided missile and multi - purpose submarines at the remote boundaries of antisubmarine defence , consisting of ships ' squadrons and cooperating with other antisubmarine ships and aircraft . Heavy Aircraft - carrying Cruisers ( TAKR ) . Tyazhelyi avianesushchii kreiser \ « тяжёлый авианесущий крейсер » ( ТАКР ) . Ships were purposed to air cover of patrol regions of Soviet ballistic missile submarines ( to destroy opponent ' s antisubmarine helicopters and airplanes ) , as well as searching and destroying opponent ' s guided missile & multi - purpose submarines and ( 3rd purpose ) to striking the opponent ' s above - water ships by guided missiles , consisting of ships ' squadrons and cooperating with other fleets ' forces . Despite the superficial resemblance , they were not aircraft carriers in that sense , in which this term is applicable to American and British carriers . They were not intended to be the main shock force of the Navy , but only a part of own strategic submarines ' defense system ( first three units ) . Fourth ship really became a large training base for fifth , her aircraft ( Yak - 141 ) was not completed and she remained with helicopters only , i . e . as antisubmarine cruiser . Fifth unit ( and uncompleted sixth ) were designed as ships of transitional type , and only seventh , non - completed nuclear " Ulyanovsk " , although classified officially to cruisers , could become a first Russian relatively full aircraft carrier . Auxiliary Cruisers ( VKR ) . Vspomogatel ' nyi kreiser \ « Вспомогательный крейсер » ( ВКР ) .