Completed in 1911 the Gangut was the first battleship in the Imperial Russian Navy. A total of four Gangut class battleships had their keel laid and were completed in Saint Petersburg. The armour protection extended over most of the hull and also the relatively small superstructure. The two central turrets of the main armament could only be deployed laterally. The Gangut class battleships were intended for use on the Baltic Seas and were therefore specially fitted with an ice-breaker bow. The expensive battleships were rarely used during World War I in order not to jeopardize them. They came into the hands of the revolutionaries after the outbreak of the Russian Revolution. All the ships were renamed after the end of the Russian Civil War. The Gangut was renamed Oktjabrskaja Revoljuzija - October Revolution.