At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Moscow, previously patriarchal and built up with estates, began to transform into a rapidly developing modern metropolis. During this period, income houses were actively constructed in the city, as renting out apartments brought more profit than professional activities or inherited capital.

One such house was built between 1901 and 1903 on Spiridonovka by architect P.S. Boytsov, a well-known Moscow architect of the Art Nouveau era. Boytsov became famous for his urban and estate buildings styled after romantic images of Gothic castles.

Boytsov's income house served as a showcase for his creative experiments and professional capabilities. The building stands out among traditional six-story income houses facing the street due to its location on a plot resembling the classic layout of urban estates: the house is set deep within the plot behind a fence. The facade is executed in a neo-Gothic style, preferred by the architect, and is topped with a massive sculptural group depicting a lion conquering a dragon. A similar technique was used by architect L.N. Kekushev, who adorned his mansion on Ostozhenka (now lost) with a lion sculpture, built in the same years.

Particular interest lies in the ceramic tiles on the facade of the building, typical of the Art Nouveau era: two-colored, with transitions from light ochre to lilac, it is unique for Moscow.

Boytsov's house became one of the Moscow addresses of A.P. Chekhov. In the autumn of 1901, he, along with his wife, O.L. Knipper-Chekhov, rented an apartment here in a now-lost courtyard wing. In Chekhov's correspondence, there are brief mentions of the house: "Sept 25, 1901. Spiridonovka, d. Boytsova. Dear mother, I am alive and well, everything is fine. Our apartment is decent... in short, we live well..." Olga Knipper-Chekhov described the house in more detail: "Large European houses are built on the street, and in the courtyard, surrounded by greenery, stands a neat, lovely house with 5 rooms... The huge courtyard will be paved, clean, the owners are progressive people, he is an architect... And the air on Spiridonovka is excellent, a lot of gardens, and the street is clean, you know."