Gabriel Tarasov, a merchant from Ekaterinodar, initially earned his capital from selling cotton candy, and then switched to the oil business, which brought him significant wealth. With each passing year, his affairs became more successful, and he found himself in Moscow more often. Eventually, Tarasov decided to move to the capital permanently and commissioned architect Ivan Zholtovsky to design his future home.

Zholtovsky, inspired by the Italian Renaissance, sought to incorporate its elements into the new building. Thus, an impressive 'Mediterranean' palace appeared on Spiridonovka. The atmosphere of the Renaissance was created by enfilades of halls with enormous frescoes, a courtyard fountain adorned with seahorses, and ceilings painted by several artists. This luxurious palace quickly became a landmark of the entire neighborhood.

However, Gabriel Tarasov did not get to enjoy life in his new home; he passed away in 1911, shortly before the construction was completed. The house was inherited by his sons, but their life on Spiridonovka did not go well; it seemed that the house was cursed. The Moscow authorities imposed a huge inheritance tax on the heirs, justifying it by the wealth of the palace's interior decoration. The sons tried to reduce the amount, claiming that it was not a palace at all, but merely a budget imitation of the Renaissance. However, the authorities remained adamant and refuted their arguments in court.

The legal disputes continued almost until the October Revolution, after which nationalization quickly resolved all property disputes. The Tarasov house came under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union. Surprisingly, decades later, the Tarasov lineage did not disappear. During Perestroika, the program 'Vzglyad' told the whole country about the first legal millionaire of the USSR, Artem Tarasov, who was a descendant of Gabriel Tarasov through his paternal line.