" ▁to ▁describe ▁them , ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁largest ▁surface ▁combat ant ▁war ships ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Py otr ▁Vel iki y ▁is ▁the ▁flags hip ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Fle et . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁lack ▁of ▁fund ing ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁economic ▁problems ▁before ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁completed ▁and ▁commission ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁twelve ▁years ▁after ▁work ▁had ▁started . ▁By ▁then ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁renamed ▁Py otr ▁Vel iki y , ▁Russian ▁for ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great . ▁Py otr ▁Vel iki y ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁to ▁carry ▁two ▁p enn ant ▁numbers ▁during ▁its ▁service : ▁" 1 8 3 " ▁and ▁currently ▁" 0 9 9 ". ▁ ▁Service ▁history ▁After ▁comple ting ▁its ▁accept ance ▁tri als ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁vessel ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Northern ▁Fle et ▁at ▁Sever om or sk ▁and ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁flags hip ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Fle et . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Py otr ▁Vel iki y ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Bar ents ▁Sea ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁largest ▁naval ▁training ▁exercise ▁in ▁a ▁de cade , ▁since ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁designated ▁target ▁of ▁the ▁Oscar - II ▁class ▁sub marine ▁K - 1 4 1 ▁Kur sk , ▁and ▁was ▁conduct ing ▁ev as ive ▁man eu vers