Russian ship of the line Imperator Nikolai I (1860)

The Imperator Nikolai I was a Russian ship of the line, built in the mid-19th century. A significant vessel in the Imperial Russian Navy, she represented the transition between traditional wooden sailing warships and ironclad technology. Launched in 1860, the Imperator Nikolai I was among the last wooden-hulled ships of the line built for the Russian fleet.

Details concerning her design are somewhat limited in widely accessible sources, but she was a three-decker ship armed with numerous cannons. The Imperator Nikolai I served primarily in the Baltic Sea.

As naval technology rapidly advanced during the latter half of the 19th century, the Imperator Nikolai I, along with other wooden ships of the line, became obsolete. The advent of ironclad warships, with their superior armor and firepower, rendered the wooden vessels vulnerable. Though specifics of her decommissioning or final disposition are difficult to ascertain without extensive research in specialized naval archives, it is likely she was withdrawn from active service and potentially repurposed as a training ship or relegated to reserve status before ultimately being scrapped. The Imperator Nikolai I serves as an example of the declining role of wooden warships as the age of steam and iron took hold.