Built in Nikolayev's Shipyard No.
198 (Andre Marti (South)) as yard number 321, Boyky was laid down on 17 April 1936.
The ship was completed on 9 March 1939 and was commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet on 17 May. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, the ship was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Division.
On 23–24 June Boyky laid defensive mines off Sevastopol.
On 9 July, the 2nd Destroyer Division, including the destroyer leader Kharkov, Boyky and her sister ships Bodry, Bezuprechny and Besposhchadny made an unsuccessful attempt to interdict Axis shipping near Fidonisi.
On 14–17 August, Boyky escorted the incomplete ships being evacuated from the shipyards at Nikolayev.
Together with the light cruisers Chervona Ukraina and Komintern and the destroyers Nezamozhnik and Shaumyan, Boyky and Besposhchadny bombarded Axis positions west of Odessa on 1–2 September.
That month, Boyky began ferrying troops and supplies to encircled Odessa as well as providing naval gunfire support.
On 7 September, Boyky and the destroyer Sposobny escorted the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Filipp Oktyabrsky, aboard the destroyer leader Kharkov to Odessa.
While they were present, all three ships bombarded Romanian troops.
On 16–21 September the destroyer helped to escort transports ferrying the 157th Rifle Division to Odessa.
She landed a company of naval infantry behind Romanian lines at Grigorievka on 21 September and provided fire support for them the following day.

Boyky helped to escort the ships evacuating the 157th Rifle Division from Odessa to Sevastopol on 3–6 October.
She escorted the damaged submarine Shch-212 to Sevastopol on 27 October.
The ship was assigned to the fire support group defending Sevastopol on 31 October and then helped to evacuate cut-off Soviet troops from pockets along the Black Sea coast to Sevastopol in early November.
When not bombarding Axis positions, Boyky ferried reinforcements and supplies to Sevastopol.
The ship was refitted in Poti, Georgia, from 17 November to 1 December.
On 29–30 December, she escorted reinforcements during the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula.
During 1941, Boyky fired a total of 1,227 main-gun shells, laid 106 mines and transported 4,883 troops.

Together with the destroyer Soobrazitelny, she escorted a pair of merchantmen to the Bosporus on 3–5 January 1942.
The following night, the destroyer escorted the battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna as she bombarded targets near Stary Krym while contributing shells of her own.
During the night of 6/7 January, Boyky landed 450 men west of Feodosia.
While escorting the transport SS Serov from Novorossiysk to Poti, the ship collided with the merchantman and was forced to return to port.
She was repaired at Tuapse from 16 January to 11 February, although she was further damaged by a storm on 22 January.
Boyky resumed ferrying supplies to Sevastopol and often bombarded Axis troops in the Crimea.
Partial records of her main-gun ammunition expenditures have survived: 134 rounds on 22 and 26 February and 118 rounds on 5, 14, 15 and 26 April.
Her last supply mission to Sevastopol was on 23 May before the ship spent the next several months under repair.

Soobrazitelny and Boyky bombarded the port of Yalta with 97 shells on the night of 2/3 October.
The destroyer helped to ferry troops to reinforce the defenders of Tuapse on 24–28 October.
A month later, Besposhchadny and Boyky were tasked to attack Axis shipping off the Bulgarian coast and to bombard the port of Mangalia, Romania.
They failed to locate any ships and mistook coastal rocks for a convoy in heavy fog on 1 December, firing 141 shells from their main guns and six torpedoes at them.
On the night of 20/21 December Kharkov and Boyky bombarded Yalta with 168 shells; on their way home they encountered German motor torpedo boats, but neither side was damaged in a desultory action.
In preparation for amphibious landings west of Novorossiysk on the night of 3/4 February 1943, Boyky, Besposhchadny and Soobrazitelny and the cruiser Voroshilov bombarded German positions during the
Built in Nikolayev's Shipyard No. 198 (Andre Marti (South)) as yard number 321, Boyky was laid down on 17 April 1936. The ship was completed on 9 March 1939 and was commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet on 17 May. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, the ship was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Division. On 23–24 June Boyky laid defensive mines off Sevastopol. On 9 July, the 2nd Destroyer Division, including the destroyer leader Kharkov, Boyky and her sister ships Bodry, Bezuprechny and Besposhchadny made an unsuccessful attempt to interdict Axis shipping near Fidonisi. On 14–17 August, Boyky escorted the incomplete ships being evacuated from the shipyards at Nikolayev. Together with the light cruisers Chervona Ukraina and Komintern and the destroyers Nezamozhnik and Shaumyan, Boyky and Besposhchadny bombarded Axis positions west of Odessa on 1–2 September. That month, Boyky began ferrying troops and supplies to encircled Odessa as well as providing naval gunfire support. On 7 September, Boyky and the destroyer Sposobny escorted the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Filipp Oktyabrsky, aboard the destroyer leader Kharkov to Odessa. While they were present, all three ships bombarded Romanian troops. On 16–21 September the destroyer helped to escort transports ferrying the 157th Rifle Division to Odessa. She landed a company of naval infantry behind Romanian lines at Grigorievka on 21 September and provided fire support for them the following day.
Boyky helped to escort the ships evacuating the 157th Rifle Division from Odessa to Sevastopol on 3–6 October. She escorted the damaged submarine Shch-212 to Sevastopol on 27 October. The ship was assigned to the fire support group defending Sevastopol on 31 October and then helped to evacuate cut-off Soviet troops from pockets along the Black Sea coast to Sevastopol in early November. When not bombarding Axis positions, Boyky ferried reinforcements and supplies to Sevastopol. The ship was refitted in Poti, Georgia, from 17 November to 1 December. On 29–30 December, she escorted reinforcements during the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula. During 1941, Boyky fired a total of 1,227 main-gun shells, laid 106 mines and transported 4,883 troops.
Together with the destroyer Soobrazitelny, she escorted a pair of merchantmen to the Bosporus on 3–5 January 1942. The following night, the destroyer escorted the battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna as she bombarded targets near Stary Krym while contributing shells of her own. During the night of 6/7 January, Boyky landed 450 men west of Feodosia. While escorting the transport SS Serov from Novorossiysk to Poti, the ship collided with the merchantman and was forced to return to port. She was repaired at Tuapse from 16 January to 11 February, although she was further damaged by a storm on 22 January. Boyky resumed ferrying supplies to Sevastopol and often bombarded Axis troops in the Crimea. Partial records of her main-gun ammunition expenditures have survived: 134 rounds on 22 and 26 February and 118 rounds on 5, 14, 15 and 26 April. Her last supply mission to Sevastopol was on 23 May before the ship spent the next several months under repair.
Soobrazitelny and Boyky bombarded the port of Yalta with 97 shells on the night of 2/3 October. The destroyer helped to ferry troops to reinforce the defenders of Tuapse on 24–28 October. A month later, Besposhchadny and Boyky were tasked to attack Axis shipping off the Bulgarian coast and to bombard the port of Mangalia, Romania. They failed to locate any ships and mistook coastal rocks for a convoy in heavy fog on 1 December, firing 141 shells from their main guns and six torpedoes at them. On the night of 20/21 December Kharkov and Boyky bombarded Yalta with 168 shells; on their way home they encountered German motor torpedo boats, but neither side was damaged in a desultory action. In preparation for amphibious landings west of Novorossiysk on the night of 3/4 February 1943, Boyky, Besposhchadny and Soobrazitelny and the cruiser Voroshilov bombarded German positions during the 
Soviet destroyer Boyky (1936)