On 29 December 1967, Admiral Isakov was added to the list of ships of the Soviet Navy. Built in the Zhdanov Shipyard at Leningrad with the serial number 722, the cruiser was laid down on 15 January 1968 and launched on 22 November of that year. The flag of the Soviet Navy was hoisted for the first time about the ship on 16 August 1970, and Admiral Isakov was submitted for government testing in the Baltic on 9 September; the sea trials concluded uneventfully on 11 December.