For the first time in the literature, the history of the design and construction of one of the outstanding ships of the Russian Navy - the destroyer Novik, which for many years was the strongest and fastest ship of this class in the world, as well as ships of the same type with it, is considered. Special chapters are devoted to the combat activities of the Novik destroyer and its brothers. In preparing the book, materials from the Central State Archive of the Navy of the USSR, the Central Naval Museum and the Central Naval Archive were used.