In 1908, the most destructive earthquake in modern European history struck off the coast of Sicily. The epicenter was located in the strait between the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily. A giant wave, 16 meters high, crashed several times onto the populated shore of Messina, completely destroying the thriving city with a population of 150,000.

Two months prior, on October 17, 1908, a Baltic midshipman squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Vladimir Ivanovich Litvinov, which included the battleships "Tsesarovich," "Slava," the cruisers "Bogatyry" and "Admiral Makarov," and 135 ship midshipmen, set out for training exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. On December 28, the squadron anchored in the port of Augusta, located 70 miles south of Messina. Around 5:30 AM, the watchmen heard a powerful rumble and felt an unexpected disturbance. A battle alarm was declared on the ships, but it was soon canceled.

In the evening, the port captain and Russian Vice-Consul A. Makeev arrived to the squadron commander aboard the "Tsesarovich." They reported the earthquake and conveyed a request for assistance from local authorities. Litvinov telegraphed about the incident to Petersburg and, without waiting for a response, ordered to set sail for Messina on the night of December 29.

The sailors participated in clearing the rubble, organized a field kitchen, and transported the wounded to other cities on their ships. Those rescued from the debris of Messina recalled that "the sailors rushed into the most dangerous places and dug people out."

Journalists who arrived at the scene noted that "the Russians not only helped but also gave the refugees everything, including their own spare shirts. Women and children from the destroyed cities flaunted in sailors' jackets and officers' overcoats. There were no German or English items on the refugees. One local resident said: I will never forget that it was only the Russians who saved me."

On February 17, 1909, the city council of Messina decided to commemorate the Russian sailors by renaming one of the city's squares and erecting a monument there.