The building consists of two large blocks with inner courtyards. The main part faces Turgenev Square and is adorned with a stylized Gothic tower reminiscent of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin. The blocks are connected by ornate grilles designed by architect O. von Dessin. The facades of the building are richly decorated: here you can see balconies, bay windows, allegorical sculptures, and friezes with intricate ornamentation. The lower floor of the building is highlighted by rustication, emphasizing the lightness of the sculptural elements, window frames, pointed arches, and turrets.

The building incorporates advanced technologies from the early 20th century: an autonomous power station, a heating system, a prototype of an air conditioner, and an artesian well 45 meters deep.

The history of the site where the building stands is not associated with typical residential development. In the first half of the 18th century, there was a residence for the Novgorod archbishop, where Archbishop F. Prokopovich lived. In 1742, architect I. Michurin rebuilt it for the Moscow post office, which remained here until 1785, after which it moved to Myasnitskaya Street. This place began to be called the Old Post Office.

In the 1880s, a round building called 'Tsar-Grad' appeared here for the panorama 'The Capture of Pleven'. In 1886, entrepreneur M. Lentovsky converted it into a folk theater 'Skoromokh'.

In 1898, the insurance society 'Russia' acquired this land and began construction of a tenement house, completed in 1902 according to the design of N. Proskurin.

The new building housed university professors, scientists, and members of the State Duma. After 1917, they were replaced by representatives of the Soviet intelligentsia.

In 1920 and 1925, the right block housed the People's Commissariat for Education, where N. Krupskaya worked under the leadership of A. Lunacharsky. The Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army and Glavlit were also located here.

In the mid-1960s, MOSKh allocated attic spaces for artists' workshops.

The main tower with the clock has its own mystery. It features a clock bell cast at the famous Finnish factory specifically for this building. The bell rang only once, in 2011, in honor of the building's anniversary.