The Russian designation for the type is "heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser", but Western defense commentators have resurrected the term "battlecruiser" to describe them, as they are the largest surface "line of battle" warships in the world.

Construction of the ship was delayed by lack of funding due to the national economic problems before and after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In March 2004, Russian Navy Chief Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov declared Pyotr Velikiy unfit for service due to problems with the ship's engineering maintenance.

[1] On 19 April 2004, the cruiser was docked in the floating drydock PD-50 for painting of the underside of the hull, repairs, and examination of the steering system.

[2][3][circular reference] On 8 September 2008, it was announced that Pyotr Velikiy would sail to the Caribbean Sea to participate in naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy, along with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and other support ships.

[8] Pyotr Velikiy arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela on 25 November,[9] coinciding with a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

[citation needed] On 31 January Pyotr Velikiy left the port of Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa.

[citation needed] On 29 September Pyotr Velikiy returned to her home base in the Northern Fleet after six months at sea.

[15] In 2014, Pyotr Velikiy along with Admiral Kuznetsov and the tankers Sergey Osipov, Kama and Dubna; the tugboat Altay, and the Ropucha-class landing ship Minsk (122) entered the English Channel to sail north.

Pyotr Velikiy participated with the Chinese frigate Yancheng and western vessels in the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.

They were heading to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Syrian government forces battling rebel troops in Aleppo.

Pyotr Velikiy passed through the Norwegian Sea and the English Channel, along with the rest of the Russian Northern Fleet on 21 October, shadowed by the British destroyer HMS Dragon.

[23] On 11 July, Pyotr Veliky along with cruiser Marshal Ustinov held an exercise in the Barents Sea, both shooting Granit and Vulkan missiles, respectively.

[30] On 15 February, Pyotr Veliky, frigate Admiral Gorshkov, diesel and nuclear submarines started an exercise in the Barents Sea.

[45] A Swedish Air Force pilot flying in a Saab 37 Viggen fighter-reconnaissance plane was scouting the Pyotr Velikiy in the Baltic Sea on 16 October 1996, when he suddenly flew into the water and died while trying to avoid a nearby Russian aircraft during the fly-by reconnaissance of the Russian ship.