Chesme Column was built in 1774-1778 under the project of A. Rinaldi in honor of the naval victories in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. June 24, 1770 led by Count Orlov and Admiral GA 10 Russian Spiridova warships and 7 frigates broke and fled the Turkish Pasha Zhefir Bay and its 16 battleships and 100 frigates, galleys, brigantines and small vessels. This battle occurred in the Chios Strait and became the forerunner of Chesma battle on June 26 as a result of which at the beginning of Rear Admiral SK Greig was burned the entire Turkish fleet.
In November 1770 the Russian detachment, located in the Mediterranean, took a using a fleet of the island of Mytilene. The enemy was put to flight, and the rest of the Turkish naval forces – destroyed. In honor of the victory of the Battle of Empress Catherine II and ordered to erect a monument in Tsarskoye Selo. Therefore Chesme Column is a monument of three victories: Chios, Cesme and Mitilenskoy.