Russian cruiser Moskva

Slava was laid down in 1976 in Shipyard 445 of the 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant in Nikolayev, was launched in 1979, and commissioned on 30 January 1983.

Between 18–22 November 1986 the ship visited Greek port of Piraeus.

Slava played a role in the Malta Summit (2–3 December 1989) between Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H. W. Bush. She was used by the Soviet delegation, while the US delegation had their sleeping quarters aboard USS Belknap.[1][2][3] The ships were anchored in a roadstead off the coast of Marsaxlokk. Stormy weather and choppy seas resulted in some meetings being cancelled or rescheduled, and gave rise to the moniker the "Seasick Summit" among international media. In the end, the meetings took place aboard Maxim Gorkiy, a Soviet cruise ship anchored in the harbor at La Valletta.

Slava returned to Nikolayev in December 1990 for a refit that lasted until April 2000.

Moskva in 2009

Moskva in 2012

Recommissioned as Moskva in April 2000, she replaced the Kynda-class cruiser Admiral Golovko as the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet.[4]

In early April 2003, Moskva, along with Pytlivy (patrol boat), Smetlivy, and a landing ship departed Sevastopol for exercises in the Indian Ocean with a Pacific Fleet task group (Marshal Shaposhnikov and Admiral Panteleyev) and the Indian Navy.[5] The force was supported by the Project 1559V tanker Ivan Bubnov and the Project 712 ocean-going tug Shakhter.

In years 2008 and 2009, she visited Mediterranean Sea and participated in naval drills with the ships of the Northern Fleet.[6]

In August 2008, in response to the Georgian crisis, Moskva was deployed to secure the Black Sea.[7][8][9] After Russia's recognition of Abkhazia's independence, the ship was stationed at the Abkhazian capital, Sukhum.[10]

On 3 December 2009, Moskva was laid up for a month at floating dock PD-30 for a scheduled interim overhaul which comprised replacement of cooling and other machinery, reclamation work at bottom and outboard fittings, propulsion shafts and screws, clearing and painting of bottom and above-water parts of the ship's hull.

In April 2010 it was reported that the cruiser would join other navy units in the Indian Ocean to conduct exercises.[11] In August 2013 the cruiser visited Havana, Cuba.[12]

In late August 2013, the cruiser was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in response to the build-up of American warships along the coast of Syria.[13] During the 2014 Crimean Crisis, Moskva was responsible for blockading the Ukrainian fleet in Donuzlav Lake.[14]

On 17 September 2014, she was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, taking shift from guard ship Pytlivy.[15]

In July 2015, she visited Luanda, Angola, to celebrate 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between countries.[16] From the end of September 2015, while in eastern Mediterranean, the cruiser was charged with the air defences for the Russian aviation group based near the Syrian town of Latakia that conducted the air campaign in Syria.[17] On 25 November 2015, after the 2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, it was reported that Moskva, armed with the S-300F surface-to-air missile system,[18] would be deployed near the coastal Syria-Turkey border.[19] In 2016, she was replaced by sister ship Varyag in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.[20] On 22 July 2016 Moskva was awarded the Order of Nakhimov.[21]

Russian Navy ensign with the badge of the Order of Nakhimov aboard Moskva at Sevastopol on 22 July 2016

Upon return from her deployment in January 2016, the ship was to undergo a refit and upgrade but due lack of funds her future remained uncertain as of July 2018.[22][23]

In June 2019, the cruiser left the port of Sevastopol in the Black Sea where it would run tests on several combat systems and the main propulsion.[24]

On 3 July 2020, the ship completed repairs and maintenance and according to a source it will remain in service until 2040.[25] The first post-repair exit to sea was scheduled for August 2020, however in reality she only began to prepare for the deployment in February 2021.[26][27]