Large hydrographic boats of Project 1896 are designed to perform surveys of the bottom relief, maintenance of floating and coastal aids to navigation equipment, and the delivery of personnel and cargo to the unequipped coast. These boats served on the all four fleets (Baltic, Arctic, Black Sea and Far East) and the Caspian Flotilia.

Large Hydrographic Boat GPB-775 laid down at the Vympel Shipyard, Rybinsk, commissioned on 1973 (yard No.01227) and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.

From 1977 - BGK-775.

On 09 December 2002, the large hydrographic boat BGK-77 sank near the pier No.35 of Novorossiysk port at night due to the loss of stability due to icing, under the influence of negative air temperatures (-10-12 °C) and hurricane wind up to 37 meters per second.

BGK-775 was decommissioned and excluded from the lists of the Black Sea Fleet on 2002.