The ships were  long overall, with a beam of  and a draft of . Designed to displace , Poltava was over  overweight and displaced  when completed. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, built by the British firm Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes, each driving one shaft, using steam generated by 14 cylindrical boilers.
The ships were long in overall length, with a beam of  and a draft of . Designed to displace , Poltava was over  overweight and displaced  when completed. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, built by the British firm Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes, each driving one shaft, using steam generated by 14 cylindrical boilers.