Mikhail Eisenstein, although not a professional architect, left a significant mark on the architecture of Riga. He did not have an architect's diploma and worked his entire life as a civil engineer in the Livonian province, where he rose to the rank of actual state councilor. His son, the famous film director Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, described his father as vain and hardworking, who always wore white gloves and had 40 pairs of patent leather shoes in his wardrobe.

Eisenstein Sr., despite lacking formal education in architecture, created unique buildings on Alberta Street in Riga, resembling majestic cakes. The reasons for his architectural experiments remain a mystery: perhaps he was influenced by the construction boom of the early 20th century, the World Exhibition in Paris, or personal dramas such as his divorce from his wife Julia.

Mikhail Eisenstein did not leave memoirs, but his son recalled the strained family relationships. During times of crisis, Eisenstein Sr. found solace in construction, creating the most unusual buildings in the Russian Empire. His works in the Jugendstil style were rich in details and symbols, making them unique and awe-inspiring.

After his divorce in 1909, his creative activity waned. He built two more houses in Riga, but they were more restrained. The fashion for Jugendstil had passed, and Mikhail no longer engaged in construction. In 1916, he was granted nobility for his career but soon emigrated to Berlin, where he died in 1920.

His son Sergei, who embraced the revolution, did not maintain a relationship with his father and learned of his death only three years later. In 1929, while in Berlin, he visited his father's grave at the Tegel Orthodox cemetery and possibly arranged for its upkeep. Even years later, the grave remained well-kept, surprising casual visitors.