Kirov survives the siege of Leningrad

Kirov entered service in 1938 and later received automatic anti-aircraft guns, British machine guns, ASDIC, and Type 291, 284, 285, and 282 radars. Her most prominent service included the Winter War, the evacuation of Tallinn, and gunfire support during the siege of Leningrad. German aircraft and artillery repeatedly attacked the lightly protected cruiser in port, but she survived and received the Order of the Red Banner. A major postwar modernization replaced her electronics and removed the aviation equipment at roughly half the cost of a new Sverdlov-class cruiser. The investment extended her useful life into a long training-ship career despite a limited cruising range.