Description
The Evstafi (Russian ) was a Pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. The ship fought in World War I and was scuttled in 1920. She was the first ship of the Evstafi class
The ship became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet on completion and led the battleship squadron in the Black Sea. She led the Russian fleet during the Battle of Cape Sarych. She scored three 12 inch hits on the Goeben but received four 11 inch hits herself (33 killed and 35 injured). Subsequently she covered convoys and bombarded Turkish positions.
After the Revolution she was seized by Ukrainian nationalist forces in 1917 formnig part of the first Ukrainian Navy. She was then captured by the Germans in 1918. There was an intention to commission the ship into the Turkish Navy but this was stopped by the end of World War I. The ship was then taken by White Russian forces but scuttled in 1919 when Red forces entered the Crimea. The wreck was salvaged by the Soviets and scrapped in 1925.
