The design specification was approved in 1957; the first ship was laid down in 1959 and commissioned in 1962. Many new components were developed for these ships, including
surface-to-air missiles,
radars, and
gas turbine engines. The gas turbines were arranged in two separate spaces and could be removed via the funnels for servicing. These were also the first Soviet ships designed to be closed down for nuclear fallout and had an operations room deep inside the ship rather than a large bridge. The final ship in the class,
Sderzhanny, was completed to a modified design as the Project 61M or 61MP (
Kashin-Mod), being fitted with four
SS-N-2C Styx anti-ship missiles, new towed-array
sonar, a raised
helipad and four close range
AK-630 Gatling guns. The two
RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers were mounted aft, but later removed. Six ships were modernised to this standard in the 1970s. was modernised (Project 01090) at
Sevastopol in the early 1990s and fitted with new
Kh-35 (SS-N-25 Switchblade,
Harpoonski) anti-ship missiles and
MNK-300 sonar. In 2020 she decommissioned and opened as a Museum at
Sevastopol. The modification built for the Indian Navy has the aft gun turret replaced by a hangar for a helicopter, as well as SS-N-2C anti-ship missiles on the sides of the bridge. ==Variants==