When talking about the Russian navy, people usually recall bases in the Black and Baltic Seas, the Pacific Ocean, and some mention the Caspian. However, at one time, Russia also had a base on the Aral Sea. It initially began as a scientific exploration of the local territories and the water area itself. Wooden vessels first navigated the sea, but by spring 1853, the first Russian steamboats, "Perovsky" and "Obruchev," appeared. These vessels had a special design with retractable keels, allowing them not only to sail on the sea but also to enter the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. The steamboats were built with local natural conditions in mind, using saxaul as fuel.

Soon, reinforcements had to be sent due to increasing attacks by bandits on the vessels. Thus, a military flotilla appeared on the Aral. Armed ships successfully participated in raids against the Khivan hordes. In 1855, the first port was established on the Aral Sea, near which were repair workshops for fixing ships. Over time, steamboats began to be used as passenger and cargo vessels, traveling across the waters for weeks. For example, the journey from Chynaz to Fort Perovsky (now Kyzylorda) and back took up to 14 days. In 15 years, Russian ships transported over 1 million poods of cargo and delivered nearly 30,000 passengers to villages and towns. Since the 1870s, fishing vessels began operating on the Aral.

Despite the fact that the Aral is often considered just a salty lake, it is still a sea, and navigation on it was not easy, leading to incidents. In 1870, the steamboat "Samarkand" ran aground and sank, but it was raised. However, among superstitious sailors, it gained a bad reputation, often running aground, and in 1881, it suffered a serious breach and sank permanently. Attempts were made to save it using barges and camels, and there were even plans to build a dam and divert the water, but nothing worked. Thus, it remained lying on the sea floor.