The Kara class can disappear between the earlier Kresta cruisers and later Soviet status ships. Major reference works treat the seven ships briefly, even while describing them as graceful designs with substantial anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities. Their launch dates overlap the Kresta II program, but construction at a different yard complicates any simple claim that one class merely followed the other. The Kara class is historically useful because it represents mature continuity rather than a dramatic one-off leap.
Notable Point · 4:48-9:54
An overlooked cruiser between Kresta and the prestige ships
A historiography section shows how the Kara class can be brushed aside despite its quality, numbers, and link to the Kresta II design lineage.