Her keel was laid down at the Russud Shipyard at Nikolayev was ordered on 30 April 1911, the contract for building her dates from 13 April 1912!launched on 15 April 1914, commissioned on 17 July 1917 in the Imperial Russian navy, renamed on 29 April Volia and not Wolga/Volga as sometimes is suggested, in November that year was she commissioned in the Soviet Navy, on 19 June 1918 refused her crew to scuttle her and she went to Sevastopol where her armament was removed and the crew landed except for guards. On 1 October was she fallen into German hands and on the 15th made she a short voyage under German flagged. On 24 November handed the German forces her over to British forces and in December she departed towards Izmit manned by sailors from the HMS Agamemnon which ‘accompanied’ her during this voyage. Returning in 1919 to Sevastopol was she on 1 November handed over to the White Russian forces which commissioned her as the General Alekseyev. As part of the so-called Wrangel’s fleet was she interned by the French cabinet in Bizerte.End 20’s was she sold to be broken which actually happened not earlier as in 1936. Her main guns were used by German and Finnish forces and some were after the Second World War used by Soviet forces. With a displacement of 23.789 tons/23.413 long tons were her dimensions 551’x 90‘0” x 27.4’ or 168 x 27,43 x 8,36 metres. The steam turbines and 20 boilers supplied 26.000 shp allowing a speed of 21 knots and a range of 1.640 nautical miles. With a crew of 1.154 men consisted her armament of 4x3-30,5cm/12” guns, 18x1-13cm/5.1” guns, 4x1-7,62cm/3” anti aircraft guns and 4x1-45cm/17.7” submerged torpedo tubes. The armour consisted of a 12,5-26,25cm thick belt at the waterline, a 0.0-5cm thick deck, while the turrets, barbettes and conning tower were protected by respectively 25cm, 25cm and 30cm thick armour.
