Many pre-revolutionary buildings in Rostov-on-Don, unfortunately, have not survived to this day. Over 70 years of Soviet power and during World War II, many of them were destroyed. Such was the fate of the beautiful Melkonov-Ezekov income house, built in the late 19th century at the intersection of Bolshaya Sadovaya Street and Bolshoy Prospekt, which later became known as Bolshoy Stolypinsky and is now Voroshilovsky Prospekt. In the early 20th century, the building was remodeled in the Art Nouveau style and was considered the second most beautiful in Rostov after the City Duma.

The house belonged to Gavriil Melkonov-Ezekov, a representative of a well-known merchant family from Rostov and Nakhichevan, who was called the 'wool king.'

There is a city legend about a dispute between horse breeder Karapet Chernov and wool merchant Gavriil Melkonov-Ezekov. They decided to determine who was wealthier by building two income houses opposite each other at the intersection of Bolshaya Sadovaya and Bolshoy Prospekt. The winner was the one whose house was more luxurious. Initially, the houses had three floors, but in the early 20th century, when a construction boom began in Rostov, both merchants decided to add two more floors. The dome of the Melkonov-Ezekov house turned out to be several meters higher. Chernov could not raise his dome due to the limited strength of the foundation and load-bearing structures, so columns were installed on the roof of his house. This gave Chernov's building the name 'the house with columns on supports.' Both houses were designed in an eclectic style and adorned with stucco, columns, caryatids, and porticos. The architectural rivalry lasted about 15 years.

The Melkonov-Ezekov house housed the Rostov Public Club. In 1914, Konstantin Balmont gave a lecture titled 'Poetry as Magic' here. The club was a place of leisure for the urban intelligentsia, frequented by high school teachers, jurors, and employees of commercial institutions.

With the arrival of Soviet power, the building was confiscated from the owner. The first floor housed the 'Coliseum' cinema and several shops, while the upper floors were occupied by apartments. In the early 1920s, poet Sergey Yesenin performed in the cinema hall. In the 1930s, the Azov-Black Sea Committee for Broadcasting and Radiofication of Rostoblispolkom and the 'Udarnik' cinema were located here.

During World War II, the building was hit by an aerial bomb, partially destroying it. The fire that followed completely destroyed the house. After the war, the remains of the building were dismantled, and the bricks were used to construct a residential building for the 'Rostovugol' enterprise on the same site. The new building was designed in the Stalinist Empire style. From 1953 until the early 2000s, the 'Burevestnik' cinema was located here. Currently, the building houses the office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District. A memorial plaque is installed on the facade, reminding of Yesenin's performance in the house that once stood on this site.