We ran a mock torpedo run on the old Moskava in the Mediterranean in the mid 70’s. It was nice sitting in the engine room while the forward types got off their asses for a change. It was a busy patrol. The Israelis were having sporting events with their neighbors and things were tense in the eastern Med back then.
I personally witnessed the Slava Class warship Marshal Ustinov arrive and tie up at Norfolk Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia while assigned to destroyer U.S.S. Stump as a midshipman on summer cruise.
The thing was long, massive, somewhat graceful but moreso muscular looking travelling through the channel, sort of intimidating, really, but for the fact that it was visiting during a rare thaw in the cold war.
Here’s the blurb (the operative part being “July 21-25, 1989 visit to Norfolk (USA)”):
Project 1164 Atlant - Marshal Ustinov [ex-
Lobov]
The second unit, the Marshal Ustinov, on September 17, 1977 was included in the lists of the Navy, October 5, 1979 laid at the factory to them. 61 Kommunara in Nikolaev (building number 2009), was launched on February 25, 1982, the crew began to settle in May 1985, factory and state tests were carried out from April 11 to August 12, 1986, an acceptance certificate was signed on September 15, 1986, September 21 The flag was hoisted in 1986 and on November 5, 1986 the cruiser became part of the Northern Fleet (120 brigade of missile ships of 43 divisions) - initially with hull number “070”, later number “088” and finally number “055”.
The first commander was cap.2 rank V.D. Veregin. From December 7, 1987 to June 23, 1988, military service in the Mediterranean Sea with the call to Tartus (Syria), 16,780 miles were traveled. April 6, 1989 visit to the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy and the Minister of Defense of France. July 21-25, 1989 visit to Norfolk (USA), together with the destroyer “Excellent” and the tanker “G. Gas-nov” under the flag of v-adm. I.V. Kasatonova (cap. Cap. 2 ranks G.I. Frunza),