The third ship of the Diana-class protected cruisers was laid down in 1896 at the New Admiralty Shipyard and entered service in 1903. Between 1904 and 1905, cruiser Aurora relocated to the Far East as part of the 2nd Pacific Squadron and participated in the Battle of Tsushima. After the Russo-Japanese war, Aurora returned to the Baltic and took part in the Battle of the Gulf of Riga during World War I. The cruiser defended Kronstadt during the Great Patriotic War. In 1945, Aurora was converted into the base of the Nakhimov Naval School, and she later became a museum ship.