Her keel was laid on April 24, 1703, at the Olonetsky shipyard near Olonets by the decree of Tsar Peter I and orders issued by commander Aleksandr Menshikov.

The vessel was built by the Dutch shipwright Vybe Gerens under the direct supervision of the tsar.

A plan to take control of the Baltic Sea away from Sweden was revived after Peter's Grand Embassy ended in 1698.

[2][3] Peter's goal was finally realized after he decisively defeated Swedish forces at the Battle of Poltava[4][5] in 1709, a turning point for Russia in the Great Northern War (1700–1721).

In 1994 a small group of sailing enthusiasts led by Vladimir Martus started construction of a replica of the ship.

The "Shtandart Project" (a non-commercial organisation dedicated to youth development) launched a replica of the frigate on September 4, 1999.