She was equipped with a Russian-built Nobel steam engine of 500 nominal horsepower that drove a single propeller shaft.

On her upper deck the ship carried four long 30-pounders and 28 short 30-pounder guns.

[1] The ship was laid down on 17 September 1854 at the New Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg and launched on 12 August 1854.

Retvizan was named after the Swedish ship of the line Rättvisan (meaning The Justice) which was captured by the Russians at the Battle of Viborg Bay in 1790.

Her engine was removed in 1863,[1] and Retvizan was placed in reserve until 1874 when she became a gunnery training ship until she was stricken on 22 November 1880.