Project 58 and Gorshkov's ascent

Project 58 appeared as Admiral Kuznetsov fell from power for the second time in 1956 and Sergei Gorshkov took command. Kuznetsov had resisted larger warships, while Gorshkov intended to give them a clear role. Nikita Khrushchev's consolidation of power and the wider break with Stalin set the political conditions for the project. Gorshkov then survived successive leadership changes and held command for nearly three decades, long enough to turn early experiments into a coherent fleet. Kynda's missiles and hull were products of this institutional change.