In 1908, the first monument dedicated to the visit of Nicholas II in 1904 was erected in Kaluga. The Tsar arrived in the city to send off the Kaluga garrison troops to the Russo-Japanese War: the 9th Ingermanland Regiment, the 10th Novo-Ingermanland Regiment, and the 3rd Artillery Brigade. To commemorate this event, it was decided to erect a monument. The solemn laying of the foundation took place on June 29, 1907, and the opening was held on July 30, 1908, in the presence of honorary citizens, local leaders, the garrison, and residents of the city.

The idea of installing the monument belonged to Kaluga Governor Alexander Alexandrovich Ofrosimov and his supporters. Funds for the project were raised by the people, and the obelisk was created by the renowned sculptor Pozhiltsov.

The monument was a majestic fourteen-meter obelisk made of granite blocks topped with a bronze double-headed eagle. The pedestal featured the Tsar's monogram and commemorative plaques with the names of Kaluga officers who went to war. By the time of the opening, many of them had died, so the sculpture also became a memorial to the fallen Kaluga soldiers of the Russo-Japanese War, or as inscribed on the pedestal, "To the Kalugans who laid down their lives on the battlefield for faith, Tsar, and Fatherland." The composition was complemented by two cast-iron cannons at the base.

The monument stood at the site where School No. 12 is currently located (5 Molodezhnaya Street), where in 1904 Nicholas II delivered a farewell speech to the Kaluga military. During the Bolshevik regime, the obelisk was completely destroyed. In modern times, there were plans to restore it for the 400th anniversary of the Romanov House, but this did not happen, so on July 31, 2016, a more modest bust of Nicholas II was installed in Central Park of Kaluga. The idea of restoring the obelisk is not forgotten, and it may still appear, although no timelines have been announced.