This house, located on the border of the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the most famous in the city. Its fame is not related to architecture or the architect, although the turret on one of the corners distinguishes it from neighboring buildings. It is also not known for its residents, owners, or organizations that were located there. The house gained notoriety through its photographs due to its location at Tverskaya Zastava Square (New Triumphal Gates Square). Since 1834, the Triumphal Gates, created by architect Osip Bove in honor of the Russian troops' victory over the French, stood here. This is why the house at Butyrsky Val, No. 2 (Merchant Sherupenkov's house) often found itself in the spotlight of photographers.

Today, it is part of the Tverskoy District of Moscow, at the intersection of Tverskaya-Yamskaya and Leningradsky Prospekt, almost opposite Belorussky Station. Belorussky Station Square, previously named after the Triumphal Gates and before that, the Zastava, is one of the main transport arteries of the city.

Tverskaya Zastava got its name in the 18th century due to the Tverskaya-Yamskaya Zastava that was located here. On the site where the Sherupenkov merchants' property later appeared, there were wooden buildings belonging to merchant K.L. Lavrentyev until the mid-19th century. In 1834, he built a two-story stone house surrounded by streets. After the demolition of the remnants of the Kamer-Kollegialny Val and the laying of Butyrsky Val, the plot was finally formed. In 1879, Lavrentyev demolished the remaining wooden structures and built a three-story stone house, incorporating the previously built two-story one. The reconstruction was carried out according to the project of architect P.S. Chizikov. The house received a convenient location for commercial use, with separate entrances on each side. In 1890, the building was purchased by Moscow merchant Nikolai Mikhailovich Sherupenkov, who owned it until the 1917 revolution.

Sherupenkov, a 2nd guild merchant, became wealthy from timber trade and owned significant real estate in Moscow, as well as a brick factory in the village of Medvedkovo. In some pre-revolutionary buildings, you can find bricks stamped with "E. Sherupenkova," the name of the merchant's wife, under whose name the factory was registered. The family lived in a one-story mansion, which has survived to this day in Dostoevsky Lane. Besides commerce, they engaged in charity, helping poor girls receive education and defending the rights of orphans.

In the house on Tverskaya Zastava (Lesnaya, ½), there were furnished rooms "Tver," taverns, shops, and other commercial enterprises. Educational institutions were also located here: the Sunday women's school of Mrs. Burtsova and the 1st Miusskoye male primary school, where the brother of writer A.P. Chekhov, I.P. Chekhov, taught. Anton Pavlovich often rented a room on the third floor of this house when visiting his brother.

The younger Sherupenkov, who inherited his father's business, continued charitable activities, but his main passion became automobiles. He was an active member of the Moscow Automobile Society. In 1913, a year before the start of World War I, the younger brother of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, organized a car rally from Moscow to Berlin to Paris. It started on June 12 in Moscow and ended on July 10 in Paris. Nikolai Nikolayevich Sherupenkov participated in the rally in his "Benz" car along with 18 other Russian car enthusiasts.

With the onset of World War I, the Sherupenkovs donated money to hospitals and organized a hospital in their estate in Losinka. After the 1917 revolution, Nikolai Sherupenkov had to leave the country via the same route they had previously taken to Paris. After the establishment of Soviet power, the dacha and hospital became a sanatorium, while the house on Tverskaya Zastava continued to function as before the revolution. Taverns were replaced by canteens and beer houses, shops, stores, and workshops, while furnished rooms became communal apartments.

Today, the building is filled with various establishments, from dining venues to offices. It is a cultural heritage site.