According to the general director of Sevmash, Nikolai Kalistratov, the new strategic ballistic missile submarine of the Project 955 Borey class will be named after one of the most revered saints in the Russian Orthodox Church - St. Nicholas (who is known as the model for Santa Claus, although this connection is almost nonexistent in the Russian Orthodox tradition). Kalistratov said this during a Patriarch Kirill's visit to Sevmash.

Construction of the new submarine is expected to start on December 22, 2009. The lead ship of this class, Yuri Dolgorukiy, began sea trials in June 2009. Two other submarines - Aleksandr Nevskiy and Vladimir Monomakh - are under construction.