The Pallada was the last of four Bayan-class armored cruisers constructed for the Imperial Russian Navy in the early 20th century. Built by the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, her construction commenced on June 24, 1905, and she was launched on November 10, 1906, with completion achieved in February 1911. She measured approximately 449.6 feet (137.0 meters) in overall length, with a beam of 57.5 feet (17.5 meters) and a draught of 26 feet (7.9 meters). Displacing 7,750 long tons (7,870 tons), Pallada had a crew complement of 568 officers and men. Her propulsion system comprised two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, which developed a maximum of 19,320 indicated horsepower during sea trials, enabling her to reach speeds up to 22.55 knots (41.76 km/h). Steam was generated by 26 Belleville boilers, with a coal capacity of 1,100 long tons (1,118 tons), although her operational range remains unspecified. Armament on Pallada included two 8-inch (203 mm) 45-caliber guns in single turrets fore and aft, complemented by eight 6-inch (152 mm) guns mounted in hull casemates. She was equipped with twenty 75-millimeter (3-inch) guns for anti-torpedo boat defense—eight of which were in casemates and the rest in pivot mounts—and four 47-millimeter Hotchkiss guns. Her offensive capabilities also featured two submerged 15-inch (381 mm) torpedo tubes, one on each broadside. The ship's armor was primarily Krupp steel, with a waterline belt 190 mm thick over vital machinery, tapering to 90 mm fore and aft. The gun turrets were protected by 132 mm armor, and the conning tower had 136 mm walls. During World War I, Pallada served with the Baltic Fleet. Notably, she captured German codebooks from the cruiser Magdeburg in August 1914. Her service was cut short when she was torpedoed by the German submarine SM U-26 on October 11, 1914, resulting in her explosion and the loss of all hands, marking her as the first Russian warship to be sunk in the war. Her wreck, discovered in 2000 near Hanko, lies in three upside-down pieces at depths of 40 to 50 meters, with notable details such as a wooden emblem still visible, although the site has reportedly been looted.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.