 Sovetsky Soyuz ( Russian : Советский Союз — Soviet Union ) was formally laid down 15 July 1938 in Shipyard Nr. 189 ( Ordzhonikidze ) in Leningrad , although evidence suggests that construction actually began in January 1939 after her slipway was completed , the necessary cranes were in place , and working drawings had been completed . When the war began she was estimated to be 21 @.@ 19 % complete , with 15 @,@ 818 metric tons ( 15 @,@ 568 long tons ) of steel assembled on the slip . She was only lightly damaged by German air attacks and bombardments , and , as some material had been used during the Siege of Leningrad , she was estimated to be 19 @.@ 5 % complete after the end of the war . Some thought was given to completing her , but this was opposed as she was regarded as obsolete in light of the experience gained during the war . Stalin 's expressed desire to see one of the Project 23 @-@ class ships completed only delayed the decision to scrap her ; this was ordered on 29 May 1948 and was well underway by April 1949 . 
