After the tender for the Baltic Sea armorclad project closed, the Naval General Staff reviewed the projects by the Admiralty Shipyard and Baltic Works and decided to merge their strengths. On December 6, 1912, four battlecruisers of the series were laid down—Izmail and Kinburn were built at the Baltic Works; Borodino and Navarin—at the Admiralty Shipyard. The cruisers were launched in 1915 but werent completed because of World War I. The project was never brought back to life again.