A small fort built in 1770, during the Orlov events, by the Russians. It obviously served as an observatory and as an artillery base.

It is a simple but strong circular construction with a diameter of 11 meters.

The Russian fleet sailed to Lemnos in July 1770, shortly after its great victory (with the help of the Greeks) against the Turks in the naval battle of Cesme. The Orlov brothers’ “revolt” had already failed in the Peloponnese in the previous months, but their success in Cesme gave them the control of the Aegean for a while.

In order to maintain this control, the Russians blocked the Dardanelles and tried to occupy Lemnos. For this purpose, Russian forces landed on the island and besieged the Turks in the castle of Myrina.

Around that time, this dapia was built to install their cannons and to guard the besieged castle.

But the Orlov operation was done. The Orlov brothers left for Italy and a large part of the Russian fleet withdrew in September to Naoussa, Paros. The Dardanelles were left unguarded, so the Turkish fleet was able to reach the Aegean. The Turks, led by Kapudan Pasha (Admiral) Hasan Hatzi Tsezaerli, landed in Lemnos and drove out the Russians. 72 Russians were killed in Lemnos in that episode.

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