The monument is dedicated to the sailors who came to the aid of the city's residents after the earthquake in 1908. In 2012, the Andrei the First-Called Foundation opened a monument to the Russian sailors who saved thousands of residents in 1908 in the Italian province of Messina, Sicily. The Italian sculptor Kuefferle presented the sketch of the monument to Tsarevich Alexei back in 1911, but it was never created at that time. More than a century later, Russian sculptor Andrei Klykov brought this sketch to life. The authorities of Messina decided to rename the square where the monument is located to 'Square of Russian Sailors.'

On December 28, 1908, the city, full of life and prosperity, was peacefully sleeping when a devastating earthquake struck at five in the morning, followed by a tsunami. Half of the residents perished instantly. The city became isolated, and its tragedy was still unknown elsewhere. However, at that time, the Russian battleships 'Tsarevich' and 'Slava,' along with the cruiser 'Bogatyr,' entered the port of Messina. Emperor Nicholas II urged the sailors: 'Conduct yourselves with dignity to uphold the honor of the Russian name...'. They fulfilled this instruction.

Seeing the dying city, the Russian officers and sailors rushed to help the residents of Messina without waiting for permission from the authorities to avoid wasting time. They boarded the lifeboats and set out to save the city. Throughout Messina, moans and cries of the dying could be heard from under the rubble.