Piotr Velikiy, named for Tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), was an ironclad turret ship built in the 1870s for the Russian Baltic Fleet. Designed by Vice Adm. Andrei Alexandrovich Popov, the vessel closely followed the pattern of the British HMS Devastation of 1871 -- in many ways the forerunner of the modern battleship. 10% larger than the British model, the Russian ship had three masts and one funnel to Devastation's single mast and twin funnels; the midships raised deck was larger and higher, not an afterthought; the ship was designed for 15 knots but had teething problems with her engines. As finally configured, her owners were happy to settle for 14 reliable knots.
Specifications for the Piotr Veliky:
Dimensions: 321'6" x 62'4" x 26'3" Displacement: 10,150 tons std. Armament: (4) 12" MLR and (4) 6" guns. Armor: Wrought iron throughout. 14" belt; 14" redoubt; 14" turrets. Propulsion: 12 coal-fired oval boilers, 8,250-shp vertical compound steam engines, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 14 kts. Crew: 440.
Metric Specifications:
Dimensions: 98m x 19m x 8m. Displacement: 10,150 tons std. Armament: (4) 305 mm MLR and (4) 152 mm guns. Armor: Wrought iron throughout. 356 mm belt; 356 mm redoubt; 356 mm turrets. Propulsion: 12 coal-fired oval boilers; (2) vertical compound steam engines developing 6152 kW, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 26 km/hr. Crew: 440.
As rebuilt in 1905, her armament was changed to: (4) 8" BLR, (12) 6" guns, (12) 75mm guns -- or, metrically speaking, (4) 203 mm BLR, (12) 152 mm guns, and (12) 75 mm guns. At this time her superstructure was greatly enlarged and the tonnage increased even with the removal of the turrets and 305 mm guns.
As seen above, the ship had a raised fo'c'sle, a well deck forward with high bulwarks giving a clean sweep from the stem to the turret bases. Aft she had a couple of deckhouses roofed over with a hurricane deck extended from the base of the aft turret, bringing the outside height of the hull to a level with the well deck for'ard, with an open railing rather than bulwarks, but no poop deck. Built at the Galerniy Yard in St. Petersburg, Piotr Veliky was an ambitious project -- an armored turret ship of the latest type. She was to be a showcase for Russia's advanced shipbuilding industry, but proved to be rather the reverse. Building her consumed 8 long years, presaging a pattern that was to plague Russian construction beyond the turn of the century. The original machinery specified by Popov -- a pair of horizontal return connecting rod engines powered by 12 rectangular boilers -- was not satisfactory and the ship was towed to Scotland for re-engining in 1881. The operation was performed by the Elder Company at its Glasgow shops. The Scotch-built vertical compound engines were just the thing, powering the ship for more than 40 years, until she became a stationary storeship in the early 1920s. In the meantime, though not of the most up-to-date design, she remained in commission through 1903, maneuvering with the Baltic fleet and guarding Petersburg.
Piotr Veliky's design was problematic. She was top-heavy and a terrifying roller, unsuitable for oceangoing trips except in the calmest weather. Nevertheless, she made a statement that Russia was determined to have a first-class, modern navy; an ambition that resulted in Russia's being recognized as the third largest naval power through the end of the 19th century. The Russian defeat in 1905 and the inexorable rise of German naval power made for an altered chessboard by 1914; but a strong effort had been exerted steadily through 1905, and after the defeat by Japan, there was a determined effort to effect a comeback.
The Piotr Veliky led a very long and useful life. In 1905 she was rebuilt into a training ship and served as such in WWI. Renamed Republikanets after the Revolution, she was converted into a depot ship in 1922. 90 years old, she was finally scrapped in 1959.
The Piotr Veliky fitting out at Petersburg in the 1870s, as viewed from the stern. The scale of the ship can be appreciated by the size of the men, swarming over her like ants. Theis shot also emphsizes the curved shape of the cantilevered hurricane deck, much like that of HMS Devastation. Petersburg's sail-powered commerce crowds the basin just beyond our shipfitters.
Stern quarter view of the Piotr Veliky during a full review. Again, the minute figures emphasize the great size of the vessel.
The Piotr Veliky as rebuilt for gunnery training, post 1905. With twin funnels and turrets removed, she looks the typical pre-dreadnought warship, not the pioneering 1870s turret-ship.
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Early Russian Ironclads
