Everyone knows about the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell in Moscow, but few have heard of the 'Tsar Pharmacy.' This was the name of the luxurious pharmacy that opened on Nikolskaya Street at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The pharmacy had warehouses and specialized laboratories: histological-bacteriological, chemical-analytical, and chemical. Various studies, autopsies, embalming, soil analysis, food products, water, and chemical products were conducted here. The laboratories also held practical classes in pharmaceutical disciplines, training new specialists for work in this field.

The building of the pharmacy amazed with its architectural splendor. The facade was adorned with four identical statues of the goddess Hygieia, feeding a snake from a bowl. The interior was also impressive: marble staircases, spacious halls, floors made of Mettlach tiles, numerous tall mirrors in gilded frames, oak cabinets with carvings, candelabras, and statues. In the reception area, there was a fountain with the scents of French perfumes, and at the entrance stood a stuffed giant bear. This bear, when alive, attracted visitors, as it was brought to the fountain on Lubyanka every morning, gathering crowds of onlookers.

Before World War I, the pharmacy employed over one and a half thousand people, and its turnover reached seven million rubles. The Old Nikolskaya Pharmacy served more than 3,000 customers daily and was considered the largest in Europe. Before the 1917 revolution, the 'Tsar Pharmacy' was famous for its medicinal wines produced in-house. Among the popular wines were 'Sherry,' 'Pepsin Ferreyne,' 'Buckthorn on Malaga,' 'Condu-rango,' 'Guaiacol,' 'Coca on Port,' 'Cola on Sherry,' and others. These drinks were infused with medicinal herbs from plantations near the city of Mologa in the Yaroslavl province.