Russian monitor Novgorod

A scale model of Novgorod as she appeared after 1875
Class overview
Preceded byPetr Veliky
Succeeded byVitse-admiral Popov
Built1871–1874
In service1874–1903
Completed1
Scrapped1
History
Russian Empire
NameNovgorod
NamesakeNovgorod
BuilderNew Admiralty Shipyard, Saint Petersburg
Cost2,830,000 rubles (excluding armament)
Laid down29 December 1871[Note 1]
Launched2 June 1873
Completed1874
Decommissioned1 May 1903
ReclassifiedAs a coast-defense ironclad, 13 February 1892
Stricken3 July 1903
FateSold for scrap, December 1911
General characteristics (as built)
TypeMonitor
Displacement2,491 long tons (2,531 t)
Length101 ft (30.8 m)
Beam101 ft (30.8 m)
Draught13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
Installed power
Propulsion6 shafts, 6 compound-expansion steam engines
Speed6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph)
Range480 nautical miles (890 km; 550 mi) at full speed
Complement151 officers and crewmen
Armament2 × 28 cm L/20 M67 (11-in) rifled muzzle-loading guns
Armour
  • Belt: 7–9 in (178–229 mm)
  • Barbette: 7–9 in (178–229 mm)
  • Deck: 2.75 in (70 mm)

Novgorod (Russian: Новгород) was a monitor built for the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1870s. She was one of the most unusual warships ever constructed, and still survives in popular naval myth as one of the worst warships ever built. However, a more balanced assessment shows that she was relatively effective in her designed role as a coast-defence ship. The hull was circular to reduce draught while allowing the ship to carry much more armour and a heavier armament than other ships of the same size. Novgorod played a minor role in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and was reclassified as a coast-defence ironclad in 1892. The ship was decommissioned in 1903 and used as a storeship until she was sold for scrap in 1911.
Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).