Stalingrad was a heavy battlecruiser and the lead ship of Project 82, which was developed for the Soviet Navy in the postwar period.

The initial design envisioned a cruiser armed with 220 mm artillery as its main armament, supplemented by 100 mm dual-purpose guns and 37 mm and 20 mm automatic anti-aircraft weapons. Later, a universal 130 mm caliber was added to the armament concept. However, by 1947, it had become clear that 220 mm guns were insufficient for effectively combating contemporary foreign heavy cruisers. Consequently, alternative designs featuring 305 mm main guns were studied. Later, 61-caliber 305 mm guns were developed for this purpose. These weapons surpassed the B-50 guns intended for Project 69 cruisers in terms of ballistic performance, representing a significant increase in firepower.

In March 1948, Joseph Stalin personally approved the variant armed with 305 mm artillery. Additional requirements included increasing the cruiser’s maximum speed, reducing the number of anti-aircraft guns, and building the ship in the Black Sea.

The lead ship, Stalingrad, was laid down on December 31, 1951. It was scheduled to launch on November 6, 1953, but delays in deliveries from subcontractors severely hindered progress. As of January 1, 1953, the ship was only 18.3 percent ready. Following Stalin’s death and a government decree dated April 18, 1953, construction of all four Project 82 cruisers was terminated.

Stalingrad was introduced in Update 2.53 "Line of Contact". The battlecruiser is characterized by an excellent main battery, which, despite its relatively modest caliber, features high-quality ammunition and a high rate of fire. The ship also demonstrates good mobility and capable secondary armaments. However, its anti-aircraft defenses are weak and limited, and its armor protection is insufficient, making the ship vulnerable.