The project began in the late 1960s when it was becoming obvious to the Soviet Navy that naval guns still had an important role particularly in support of amphibious landings, but existing gun cruisers and destroyers were showing their age.

Moskovsky Komsomolets was laid down on 7 April 1981 and launched on 19 January 1991 by Severnaya Verf in Leningrad.

On July 31, 2011, the Navy Day, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the destroyer at the main naval base of the Baltic Fleet in the city of Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region).

[4] In recent years, the flagship of the Baltic Fleet did not go on long voyages, going through the restoration of technical readiness in Baltiysk.

According to the procurement data of 33 Shipyard, which serves the ships of the Baltic Fleet, the systems of the main power plant (boiler and turbine), life support equipment, and ship armament are being repaired aboard the Nastoichivny.