Admiral Lazarev-class monitor

The Admiral Lazarev class was a pair of monitors built for the Imperial Russian Navy in the late 1860s (designated frigates by the navy). Four ships were ordered, but the last two were significantly modified and became the separate Admiral Spiridov class of ships. Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Greig became the first turreted warships in the Russian Navy.

Background
The early monitors of the Russian Navy had insufficient seafaring capacity and speed. As a result new plans for a faster, more seaworthy ship were made in 1864. The original plan called for building four monitors with that main armament consisting of three gun turrets. They were named after famous Russian admirals: Lazarev, Greig, Spiridov and Chichagov. However the last two ships were significantly redesigned, having only two turrets, but heavier armor, so only Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Greig are considered to be ships of the class.

Design
The ships were similar in size to earlier Russian ironclads. They had a shorter beam due to the turret, rather than broadside weaponry. A longer draft made the ships more stable at the sea. Due to the heavy weight, the masts of the ships were significantly lighter and smaller than initially planned, but the more powerful 2000 hp engine made the ships somewhat faster than earlier monitors, with the top speed of 11 kn.

The ships were protected by a 4.5 in armor belt and turrets by 6.5 in armor. The main armament was three gun turrets, each with two 9-inch (229 mm) guns. Later, all four ships had turrets refitted with 11-inch (279 mm) guns, one gun per turret. With the new guns, the Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Spiridov classes became among the most powerful ships of the Baltic Fleet.

Service History
Both ships were entered service in 1869, but were not fully completed until 1871. They served as a part of the Baltic Fleet. In 1892, the ships were reclassified as coastal defence and later as training ships. Shortly before the First World War, the ships were scrapped.