Project 567 was developed at the Chernomorsudoproekt Central Design Bureau in Nikolayev. K. I. Bohonevich was the chief designer until 1956, and B. K. Sidorov took over until 1961. All ship specifications are similar to those of the SS Leninsky Komsomol, the first ship in the Leninsky Komsomol class.
History
Construction and early voyages
In 1959, despite the Kherson Shipyard's delivery of four tankers and the SS Leninsky Komsomol, the shipyard's productivity was only 82 percent. Its inability to reach production targets was due to a delay in the construction of the Metallurg Baykov. Expected to sign an agreement to begin the ship in 1959, the Black Sea Shipping Company only agreed to construction terms on 24 July 1960. The delay was due to a number of design errors, which were remedied in 1959. Logistical issues precluded rapid changes, since the Soviet system prevented the hasty acquisition of equipment from manufacturers. According to the Singapore Free Press, the Metallurg Baykov was at berth 15/16 on 2 November 1960. She was briefly mentioned in an article, "Great Labour Victory", in the 14 March 1962 issue of the Soviet newspaper Одесский портовик : "The turbine ship Metallurg Baykov was unloaded 100 hours early".
Cuban blockade
The Metallurg Baykov first voyage to Cuba during the Cuban blockade began in early August 1962 from Novorossiysk, and she arrived in Cuba on 25 August. The ship carried a reported 1,400 tons of cargo, including trucks and cranes on the open deck. Her second voyage to Cuba began on 14 September from Sevastopol, and the Metallurg Baykov arrived in Casilda on 30 September. The technicians and personnel of the mobile missile base, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel I. V. Shishchenko of the 50th Missile Army, were on the ship. On 14 October, US intelligence detected Soviet missiles in Cuba in an aerial photographic survey. Since 18 September, US warships had questioned the cargo aboard Soviet transport ships. According to Ivan Shishchenko, captain of an escort subdivision:
... At three o'clock in the morning on 14 September, the Metallurg Baykov cast off from the pier and took the course to the Bosphorus. When the ship approached Istanbul, the pilot boarded the ship. I was worried, a stranger on board, but these are the rules for ships passing through the straits... On 18 September, two American warships with the numbers 858 and 931 on their sides met us between Sardinia and Tunisia. One had uncovered guns and approached to 80–100 meters. The Americans communicated with flag signals: - What is your ship's destination? - We are running to Casablanca. - What's on board? - Agricultural machinery. - Have a good trip. The American warship 858 turned away and joined ship number 931, one kilometer away. That day, American reconnaissance aircraft circled our ship at an altitude of and returned to its base in Tunisia. When our ship passed Gibraltar, we received a signal to open an envelope. The envelope contained a form with the name of the actual destination port and information about the politics and government of Cuba and climatic conditions on the island. In 15 minutes, the officers collected the contents of the envelope. US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft again came within sight near the Azores. On 28 September, as we approached Cuba, an American cargo ship set a collision course with our ship in violation of the rules of navigation. The watch officer reported to Gurzhiy about the collision threat. He immediately issued an order, the ship turned abruptly and... the collision was avoided...
The Metallurg Baykov moored at the port of Casilda. On 30 September, Soviet ambassador to Cuba Aleksandr Alekseyev ordered the troops ashore. That night the first convoy was sent to Las Villas province, accompanied by Cuban motorcyclists who attracted the attention of local residents. According to a 16 August 2012 story in the newspaper Вечерняя Одесса, "During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, aircraft from the US and other NATO countries made 1,300 flights over our ships. Their ships, maneuvering in close proximity to our ships, provoked collisions and made 75 attempts to stop our ships for inspection on the open sea."
