The design was based on the American Passaic-class monitor, but was modified to suit Russian engines, guns and construction techniques.

[1] The ship was fitted with a two-cylinder, horizontal direct-acting steam engine[1] built by the Baird Works of Saint Petersburg.

During Edinorog's sea trials on 19 June 1865, she reached a maximum speed of 5.75 knots (10.65 km/h; 6.62 mph), the second slowest ship in the class.

The ship carried a maximum of 190 long tons (190 t) of coal, which gave her a theoretical endurance of 1,440 nautical miles (2,670 km; 1,660 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph).

These lacked the penetration power necessary to deal with ironclads and they were replaced by license-built 15-inch (380 mm) smoothbore muzzle-loading Rodman guns in 1867–68.

[6] Construction of the ship began on 13 June 1863 by S. G. Kudriavtsev at the state-owned Galeryni Island Shipyard in Saint Petersburg.

Edinorog was reclassified as a coast-defense ironclad on 13 February 1892 and turned over to the Port of Kronstadt for disposal on 6 July 1900, although she was not stricken until 17 August.

She was abandoned by the Soviets in Helsingfors (Helsinki) when they were forced to withdraw from Finland in April 1918 according to the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, but she was later returned by the Finns.