Rostislav, laid down in 1894
An item referred to the Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens reporting that the Russian naval budget for 1897-1898 was increased with 2.500.000 fl.ö.w. to 75 million compared with the budget of 1896-1897. The budget for shipbuilding in the contrary was descried with 3 million fl.ö.w. Two 12.480 ton battleships 1st class were to be laid down, one to be launched in 1898 and the other in 1900. In the begin of this year was a battleship 2ns class of the Rostislaw design laid down, while on the Baltic shipyards the battleships Poltava, Sevastopol and Petropawlovsk and the coastal defence ship Apraxin were fitted out for their trials. The battleships Peresvjet and Osilablja and a Rossia design cruiser were almost completed to be launched. Further more were 3-1st class cruisers to be laid down. At Moscow, Russia were 12 ocean going torpedo boats being built, fitted out with locomotive boilers, suitable to be used for petrol fuelling. Personnel strength was 32.477 men included 29.950 petty officers and sailors.
