They were built as part of a naval expansion program directed against the British and French, which Russia viewed as competitors to fill the power vacuum left by the continued decline of the Ottoman Empire.

Sultan Makhmud, Trekh Ierarkhov, and Arkhangel Gavriil took part in campaigns to suppress civil unrest Caucasus region in the eastern Black Sea, primarily as troop transports.

In the early 1840s, the ships that had entered service patrolled the Black Sea and transported elements of the Imperial Russian Army to and from Sevastopol and Odessa.

In poor condition, Sultan Makhmud was hulked in 1850 and Trekh Ierarkhov was considered for rebuilding into a steam-powered ship of the line, but the plan was abandoned due to its cost.

[3][4] In October 1853, the Crimean War broke out between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, and in the early stages of the conflict the ships still in active service were used to carry Russian soldiers to the Caucasus.

[3] Despite none of the members of the class having taken part in the battle, the action nevertheless led to all of their ultimate demise, as pro-war parties in Britain and France used the attack on Sinop as justification to intervene on behalf of the Ottomans.

[5][6][7] During the ensuing Siege of Sevastopol, Sultan Makhmud and Trekh Ierarkhov were both broken up in 1854, as the lack of funds due to the war prevented their repair.