In the late 19th century, a new sector of the aviation industry, airship construction, began to develop actively around the world. Russia kept pace with other countries and built its own airships. Until 1910, these were mainly civilian models or training airships for pilot preparation. However, during this period, the possibility of using airships in military actions began to be seriously considered, anticipating World War I.

The development of a military airship was approached thoroughly. The project was created by staff captain Afanasy Shabskiy, who envisioned a multipurpose aerostat. According to his plan, the airship was to not only bomb enemy positions but also conduct aerial reconnaissance. To protect against fighters, two powerful machine guns were installed on it. Notably, the airship was almost entirely built from domestic materials at Russian factories. The envelope was made by the 'Triangle' factory, while the frames, gondola, and platform were produced by the 'Duks' factory, known for bicycle manufacturing. The propellers were assembled in Saint Petersburg. The only problem arose with the engines, which had to be purchased abroad.

By August 1910, the project was completed. Initially, the airship was named 'Komissionny' in honor of the designers and builders of the transport commission. However, it was later decided to give military airships bird names, and 'Komissionny' became 'Krechet'. The trials lasted several months, and the airship showed excellent results. The 70-meter 'Krechet' easily ascended to a height of 1.5 kilometers, reached high speeds, and was easy to control.

With the onset of World War I, 'Krechet' became part of the 9th Airship Company, based in Lida. Nothing is known about the further fate of this airship. However, Russian airships, such as 'Berkut' and 'Kondor', successfully transmitted valuable reconnaissance data and bombed enemy positions. Nevertheless, by the middle of the war, the Russian General Staff began to use airplanes more actively, especially the 'Ilya Muromets' type, which proved to be significantly more effective than airships.