The Asia (Russian: А́зия) was a cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was one of three merchantmen purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; the State of California became the Europa, the Saratoga became the Afrika, and the Columbus became the Asia. The steamship Columbus was built 1873/74 in Philadelphia and was purchased by the Russians in May 1878. She was sailed to Russia by a Russian crew and refitted in 1878-79 in Kronstadt. The ship was deactivated in May 1918 and scrapped in 1923.