History of Opening and Development

The corner house with an oval facade was built in four stages. In 1856, a two-story commercial building with shops on the first floor and an entrance to the courtyard appeared on Pyatnitskaya Street.

In 1889, the southern and eastern boundaries of the site were formalized. At the intersection of Serpukhov Square and Valovaya Street, a stone two-story house was erected, which included the existing structure. The first floor housed shops, while the second contained rental apartments.

In 1897, commissioned by merchant Anatoly Shchurenkov, the house was expanded: its section along Pyatnitskaya Street was lengthened, a third floor was added, and a grand staircase was built. Wooden ceilings were replaced with Monier brick vaults. The high vaults of the second floor were adorned with decorative cornices. Architect Vladimir Gamburtsev divided the floors with stucco ornamentation and emphasized the entrance windows with triangular pediments.

The upper floors contained apartments for wealthy city dwellers, while the lower floors housed merchant shops.

Reconstruction and Restoration

The modern appearance of the ensemble was achieved in 1905 when architect Sergey Antonov added another section according to Gamburtsev's design.

After the 1917 revolution, the house housed shops and service enterprises. In the 1950s and 1990s, there were communal apartments. In the early 2000s, the house was declared emergency and was vacated. For the next 15 years, it remained abandoned and caught fire several times.

Repair and restoration work began in 2017. Specialists reinforced the foundation, partially replaced the ceilings, strengthened the load-bearing structures, and repaired the roof. The facades of the building on Pyatnitskaya Street, Serpukhov Square, and in the courtyard were completely updated. The decorative design was restored and renovated. The air conditioning system was moved to the inner courtyard. Inside the building, the staircases and Monier vaults were restored, and the finishing of the floors, walls, and ceilings was recreated according to historical samples. The interiors of the second and third floors were restored, and the building was adapted for the needs of the Small Theatre.