Referred to the light frigate class, intended to carry out reconnaissance and patrol services and to convoy transports loaded with valuable goods.

The frigate's design was worked out on the basis of English Pandora class frigates. Built at St. Petersburg Shipyard, commissioned in 1820 and joined the Guards regiment.

The ship made several long voyages. As early as 1823 she reached the Faroes and Iceland, circled Great Britain and came back to the Baltic through the English Channel and North Sea. In a year the Provorny traveled to Gibraltar, Brest and Plymouth. As a historiographer N.A. Bestuzhev (well-known Decembrist afterwards) participated in the Provorny's voyage of 1824. His travel notes "Notes on the Frigate Provorny's Voyages" have been preserved to our time.

The Provorny participated in the Battle of Navarino of October 8 (20), 1827. By that time the frigate had already served for seven years and was the oldest of the Russian ships, taking part in the battle. The Provorny fought doughtily and disabled two enemy frigates and a corvette. Lieutenant Nikolai Kupriyanov as well as three other men perished in action