The Project 38, sometimes called the Minsk class was a modification of the Leningrad class, with newer gun mounts, a slightly modified superstructure and newer, more modern directors.
Project 45 was the first fully native-designed destroyer of the Red Fleet. She was to be the blueprint of a new breed of smaller, yet fast and powerful destroyers. Her construction was severly delayed, and she had a problematic history regarding her boilers. When she was commissioned 6 years after construction had begun, she would be armed with single gun mounts, as her intended armament was delayed due to the war.
The project 7 became the backbone of the Soviet destroyer fleet, with 29 units being built. Their career were long and ardous, with the Chinese ships serving into the 90s. They were armed with 4 130mm mounts.
Project 7U, or Storozhevoy class was constructed to fix one major concern the Soviet Navy had with the previous Gnevny class; that being the layout of her machinery spaces. The Storozhevoy moved to the unit system, with alternating boiler and engine rooms for added survivability, this gave the ships of the class two widely spaced funnels. Otherwise little changed from the previous class.
Project 26, or Kirov class was designed and built with Italian assistance, her Italian lines and influence being quite apparent. Armed with 9x180mm guns in triple mounts, they were powerfully armed, albeit rather lightly armored. They were quite fast with a speed of 36kts.
The original design of Pr.26 was not quite satisfactory, and a redesigned version called Pr.26bis was made, it incorporated a redesigned superstructure, looking even more like an Italian cruiser than before. The number of 45mm AA guns was increased from 6 to 9.
Due to the delays in production of the 100mm AA guns that armed the previous two pairs of cruisers, another subclass, the Pr.26bis2 was made, replacing the six 100mm guns with 8x85mm guns. The Kalining recieved 8x76mm guns as an interim until the 85mm guns could be mated to the 76mm mount. The sixth ship, the Kagonovich would be completed in 1944 without a catapult, with AA guns taking its spot.
