Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev

The heavy aircraft carrying cruiser [Due to restrictions imposed by Turkey preventing aircraft carriers travelling through the Bosporus, all Soviet and Russian aircraft carriers are named as aircraft carrying cruisers. However, in the case of "Kiev", this accurately reflects the ship's mission and weapons fit.] "Kiev" served the Soviet and Russian navies from 1975 to 1993. It was built from 1970 till 1975 at Chernomorski factory in Nikolayev and was the first ship of its class (Project 1143 Krechyet (Gyrfalcon) or Kiev class)

The "Kiev" was laid down on July 21, 1970 and launched on 26 December 1972. She was completed and commissioned on 28 December 1975, but officially entered service only in February 1977, after completing all trials. In 1976 she was moved from the Black Sea to her destination Severomorsk, as a part of the Northern Fleet. From 1977 till 1987, "Kiev" undertook 10 practice voyages to the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In March 1979 she undertook manoeuvres with her sistership "Minsk" on the Mediterranean. In October 1981 she was a flagship in great manoeuvres Zapad-81 on the Baltic Sea. From December 1982 to November 1984 she underwent an overhaul and modernization in Nikolayev. From 1985, a practice of STOL of Yak-38s instead of VTOL was introduced, allowing to increase aircraft payload and range, and a replacement of Kamov Ka-25 helicopters with Kamov Ka-27 started. In 1985 "Kiev" went back to the Northern Fleet. From 1987 she mainly stayed in Severomorsk. In December 1989 she was moved to a reserve. After a disintegration of the USSR, the ship was taken by Russia. Due to low military budget and worsening ship's condition, she was retired on 30 June 1993. As the building yard was located in the newly independent Ukraine, she could not be serviced.

In 1996 she was sold to a Chinese company, and has been part of the military theme park in Tianjin since 1 May 2004.

ee also

*"Kiev" class aircraft carrier
*List of aircraft carriers

Notes and references

*В.П.Заблоцкий (V.P. Zablotskiy): "Тяжелый авианесущий крейсер «Киев»" (Tyazholy avyanesushchiy kreyser "Kiev"), Morskaya Kollektsya 7/2003

External links

* [http://wunderwaffe.narod.ru/Magazine/MK/2003_07/ History of the "Kiev", in Russian]
* [http://www.webcom.com/~amraam/rcar.html History of soviet aircraft carrier development]
* [http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=100000] - article on the Kiev Class in Russian
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/1143.htm] - article in English from FAS
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/russia/aircraft_carriers/kiev/kiev_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest Kiev pages]