 She was laid down at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk on 19 January 1989.From 1991-1993 she was known as "Severodvinsk", but was renamed "Orel" on 20 March 1993 or 6 April 1993 and entered service with the Russian Navy that same year.Between May 2004 and September 2007 her commander was Valery Varfolomeyev, an officer who had first joined the submarine as assistant commander in June 1998, and then became senior assistant to the commander from April 2000.