The Asia (Russian: А́зия) was a cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

 of the Imperial Russian Navy

Imperial Russian Navy

The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...

. The ship was one of three merchantmen

Cargo ship

A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...

 purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; the State of California became the Europa, the Saratoga became the Afrika, and the Columbus became the Asia.

The steamship Columbus was built 1873/74 in Philadelphia and was purchased by the Russians in May 1878. She was sailed to Russia by a Russian crew and refitted in 1878-79 in Kronstadt

Kronstadt

Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...

.

The cruiser saw initial duty in the Far East, but then returned to the Baltic. It was downgraded to Cruiser 2nd Class on 1 February 1892. The future Vice Admiral Karl Jessen

Karl Petrovich Jessen

Vice Admiral Karl Petrovich Jessen was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russo-Japanese War.-Biography:Jessen was of Baltic German descent, born in Livonia. He graduated from the Sea Cadets in 1875 and was commissioned as a lieutenant on July 18, 1879. He graduated from the school...

 was her commanding officer in 1895 and 1896. In 1898 she received a new engine, increasing her power from 1,200 to 2,700 hp, and adding 2.2 kn (3 mph; 4 km/h) to her top speed.

In August 1911, now rather obsolete, the Asia was transferred to the reserve fleet. In October 1912 she was renamed Kaukas (Russian: "Кавказ"). Following the outbreak of the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, she was once again renamed Asia on 11 September 1914, assigned to the Baltic Fleet's transport squadron and used as a minelayer

Minelayer

Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...

.

The ship was deactivated in May 1918 and scrapped in 1923.