The Imperial Russian Navy, by the end of the 19th century required a cruiser capable of undertaking long cruises into foreign waters for the purpose of destroying commercial vessels, especially if war was to occur between Russia and the United Kingdom. Russian admiral Ivan Shestakov submitted the design of Rurik to the Baltic Works at St. Petersburg for construction, bypassing the normal procedure of submitting the design to the Naval Technical Committee (MTK).
By the late 19th century, the Imperial Russian Navy needed a cruiser that could undertake extended voyages into foreign waters to destroy commercial vessels, especially if conflict with the United Kingdom was likely. Admiral Ivan Shestakov submitted the Rurik design for construction at the Baltic Works in St. Petersburg, bypassing the standard procedure of submitting it to the Naval Technical Committee (MTK).