Under personal supervision of Shestakov, based on French models a project of torpedo cruiser was developed, which had to repulse attacks of hostile torpedo boats. The development was headed by the manager of Baltic Shipyard, Mikhail Kazi. It was on this shipyard that the torpedo cruiser Leytenant Ilyin was built. The factory machines using domestic coal were not able to reach the contractual speed of 22 knots, and the same was the situation with torpedo cruiser Kapitan Saken built at Nikolayev Admiralty - it made only 17,7 knots. In 1888 torpedo cruiser Kazarsky was ordered to the German factory Schichau. After commissioning in 1890, it showed average speed of 21.16 knots. But for that the armament had to be sacrificed. Following its model, the new Chief of Naval Ministry Nikolay Chikhachyov ordered torpedo cruisers Voyevoda and Posadnik to Schichau. Their speed during test was more than 22 knots.

On the type of Kazarsky, it was decided to build torpedo cruisers Vsadnik, Gaydamak and Abrek in the firms of Creighton in Finnish Abo, and cruiser Griden - in Nikolayev Admiralty. The structure was improved during designing and construction.

Torpedo Cruiser Griden laid down on 04 September 1892 at the Nikolayev Admiralty, launched on 31 November 1893, commissioned in November 1895 and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.

31 May 1908 the ship transferred to Corps of Frontier Guard.

In 1913 the cruiser was excluded from the lists of the Corps of Frontier Guard and scrapped.