| Career | Soviet Navy Russian Navy |
|---|---|
| Name: | Murmansk |
| Builder: | Severodvinsk |
| Laid down: | 1953 |
| Launched: | 24 April 1955 |
| Commissioned: | 22 September 1955 |
| Decommissioned: | 1989 |
| Struck: | 1994 |
| Fate: | Wrecked off Norway on 24 December 1994 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Sverdlov-class cruiser |
| Displacement: | 13,600 tons standard, 16,640 tons full load |
| Length: | 210 m overall, 205 m waterline |
| Beam: | 22 m |
| Draught: | 6.9 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 shaft geared steam turbines, 6 boilers, 110,000 hp |
| Speed: | 32.5 knots |
| Range: | 9000 nm at 18 knots |
| Complement: | 1,250 |
| Armament: | 12 15.2 cm 57 cal B-38 in 4 triple Mk5-bis turrets, 12 10.0 cm 56 cal Model 1934 in 6 twin SM-5-1 mounts 32 x 3.7 cm AA 10 x 533 cm torpedo tubes |
| Armour: | Belt: 100 mm Conning tower: 150 mm Deck: 50 mm Turrets: 75 mm |
Murmansk (Russian: Мурманск) was a light cruiser project no. 68-bis (designated the Sverdlov class by NATO) of the Soviet and later the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet.
She was laid down in Severodvinsk in 1953 and commissioned on 22 September 1955. The Murmansk joined the 2nd Cruiser Division on the division's formation in 1956.
In 1994 she was sold to India for scrapping but ran aground off the Norwegian village of Sørvær during the transfer. It was first estimated that the winter storms would destroy the parts of Murmansk above the water, but in 2009 funding was allocated to pay for the dismantling of the vessel. The project has started and a dry dock has been built around the ship to allow heavy machinery to access her. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2011.[1]
There is a dispute about possible radioactive substances within the ship.[2] Some claim that the substance found is Polonium-210, which has a half-life of 138 days.
The wreck can be found on Google maps.[3]