The design of the "Petropavlovsk"-class ships was derived from the battleship , but was greatly enlarged to accommodate an armament of four and eight guns. While under construction, their armament was revised to consist of more powerful, higher-velocity, 12-inch guns; the 8-inch guns were replaced by a dozen guns. The ships were long overall, with a beam of and a draft of . Designed to displace , "Petropavlovsk" was almost overweight, displacing when completed. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, built by the British firm Hawthorn Leslie, each driving one shaft, using steam generated by 14 cylindrical boilers. The engines were rated at and designed to reach a top speed of , but "Petropavlovsk" reached a speed of from during her sea trials. She carried enough coal to give her a range of at a speed of . Her crew numbered 725 men when serving as a flagship.