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 frigates, armoured corvettes 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 cruisers & protected cruisers. 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 destroyers, 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. 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 cruisers, 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). Cruisers of the Soviet and modern Russian Navy. Light cruisers. The Russian class abbreviation is KRL, that also is used as prefix, for example: KRL "Sverdlov" or TRKR "Piotr Velikii".</ref>) 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. 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).