They were built in the 1950s and were based on Soviet, German, and Italian designs and concepts developed prior to the Second World War.

They were modified to improve their sea keeping capabilities, allowing them to run at high speed in the rough waters of the North Atlantic.

The basic hull was more modern and had better armor protection than the vast majority of the post Second World War gun cruiser designs built and deployed by peer nations.

[1] Sverdlov-class cruisers main armament included twelve 152 mm (6 in)/57 cal B-38 guns mounted in four triple Mk5-bis turrets.

It was first estimated that the winter storms would destroy parts of Murmansk above the water, but the ship remained in one piece and in 2009 funding was allocated to pay for the dismantling of the vessel.

In 2008 organizations Veolia and Bellona announced that they had found a "source of radioactivity", which unrolled a wave of panic among local residents, who started to find "increased incidence of cancer".

Scandinavia's largest demolition contractor, AF Decom, constructed a massive breakwater and cofferdam around Murmansk to access the shipwreck from land and demolish it where it rested.