Her building at the shipyard of Thames Iron Works, Blackwall, England was ordered on 18 November 1861, laid down in December, launched on 8/18 May 1863, commissioned on 28 July 1864, classified as a coast defence ship on 13 February 1893, reserve since 1904, stricken from the navy list on 15 September 1905, transferred to the harbour of Kronstadt and sold to be used as a barge on 8 August 1908, renamed Barge [Barzhna] No.1, purchased by Sobiet forces on 30 June 1922, taken into service as the coal transport Kronstadt Barzhna No. 1, as coal hulk handed over to the Baltic Fleet on 7 August 1925, renamed KP-3 on 1 January 1932, renamed K-41999 on 12 July 1943, renamed VSN-491000 on 16 May 1949, stricken in 1950’s and finally broken up in the early 1960’s.
Building costs 917.000 rubles. With a displacement of 3.330 tons/3.277 long tons were her dimensions 67,1 x 16,2 x 4,4 metres or 220’x 53’x 14’6”. The Maudslay&Field 3-cylinder horizontal return-connecting-rod steam engine and 4 boilers supplied via one shaft 1.000 ihp allowing a speed of 8 knots. Further more was she 3-masts schooner-rigged. Her crew numbered 459 men with an original armament of 26-19,6cm/7.72” 60pd smoothbore guns; other source claims 14-8“guns.. In 1874 were her guns replaced by 12-20,3cm/8” guns. The wrought-iron made armour consisted of a 10,2-11,4cm/4-4,5” on 254,cm/10”teak thick belt reaching 4 feet below the waterline. The hull -dived by 6 water tight transverse and two longitudinal bulkheads- was tumblehome shaped with an angle of 27 degrees to deflect incoming shells. Further more was the conning tower also protected by 11,4cm/4.5” thick armour.
