In January 1900, Chief Ship Engineer of the St. Petersburg port D.V. Skvortsov presented a design for a battleship to the MTK, which in many ways overturned previous ideas about this class of warships. In terms of displacement—14,000 tons—the new ship was significantly superior to the Borodino-class squadron battleships then under construction, the 19-knot speed was higher (by 1 knot), and the armament offered was completely different (16,203 mm guns in eight turrets). The project was drawn up on the instructions of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. With the rank of captain 2nd rank, he commanded the battleship Rostislav on the Black Sea and, due to his grand-ducal position, could afford any, even extravagant, initiative.