The business courtyard building, owned by the St. Petersburg merchant M.A. Alexandrov, was constructed in 1898-1899 by architect A.V. Ivanov at the intersection of Staropansky and Bolshoy Cherkassky lanes. It is one of the most successful examples of strict business architecture in Moscow and an early application of functionalism in commercial-office buildings. The frame structure of the facade allowed for large windows, whose monumentality contrasts with the elegant castings of French balconies under each window, giving the facade expressiveness. The noble and restrained appearance of the building favorably distinguishes it against the backdrop of the neighboring building by F.O. Shekhtel for the trading house 'Arshinov and Co.'

This plot in Kitai-Gorod was early acquired by merchants. In the early 18th century, it belonged to the merchant Akishev family. The granddaughter of the first owner, Dmitry Dmitrievich Akishev, Avdotya Andreevna, married Ya.F. Mirovich in 1731, who was sent to Siberia for leaving military service without permission. There, in 1740, they had a son, Vasily, known as the organizer of the failed coup in favor of Ivan VI Antonovich. Mirovich was executed in Shlisselburg Fortress on July 5, 1764.

In the 19th century, the property was acquired by merchant N.E. Kartashev. Under this surname, the courtyard entered history. In Moscow legends, the last Kartashev, Grigory Nikolaevich, was mentioned, about whom it was said: 'greedy as Kartashev.' He engaged in usury, providing large loans at high interest rates. He did not take receipts, did not go to court, and was sometimes deceived. The courtyard housed the Ponomarev tavern, where Kartashev spent time at a separate table. His apartment was next to the tavern; he lived alone, slept on a couch, got up at 10 a.m., and went to the tavern at 11. He ate free yesterday's cabbage soup and porridge, paying only for cheap tea. Borrowers came to him, and if someone ordered something expensive, they were refused a loan.

After his death, money was found in chests hidden in the basement with sugar scraps. The main storage was in the oven with a trap for thieves. Expired promissory notes and coupons, spoiled furs, and bundles of imperials were discovered. A total of 30 million rubles were counted. His sister, the well-known Moscow landlady Klavdiya Nikolaevna Obidina, married to millionaire Obidin, became the heiress.

In 1897, the property was purchased from Obidina by St. Petersburg merchant Mikhail Alexandrov.