The building of the City Duma in the historical center of Nizhny Novgorod is a monument of urban planning and architecture. It was built between 1899 and 1904 according to the design of St. Petersburg architect V. P. Zeidler. This structure, belonging to the early period of Art Nouveau in Russia, combines elements of academic eclecticism and decorative modernism. Today it is recognized as a cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation and is located at Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 1.

Previously, on the territory of the current Minin and Pozharsky Square, between Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street and Zelensky Lane, there was a wooden house belonging to the Kordyukov family. In 1851, it was purchased by the land peasant Pyotr Egorovich Bugrov, who built a three-story stone house on this site in 1852 and 1854 according to the design of architect N.I. Uzhudemskiy-Gritsevich. The first floors of the building housed shops, while the second floor was rented by the city theater. Bugrov was the founder of a well-known merchant dynasty in Nizhny Novgorod. By the end of the 19th century, the house came into the possession of opera singer N.N. Figner, who mortgaged it and was unable to buy it back.

The building was put up for sale for 60,000 rubles, but due to the high price, no buyers were found, and the house remained with the bank. In 1897, it was purchased for 50,000 rubles by N.A. Bugrov, the grandson of the first owner and one of the largest benefactors of Nizhny Novgorod in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the same year, Bugrov donated the building to the city on the condition that the income from it would be directed to help the poorest residents, and that there would be no theaters, entertainment establishments, or sales of strong alcoholic beverages in the building. After lengthy discussions, the city authorities decided to demolish the old building and construct a new Duma and administration building in its place.

The project for the new building was commissioned to architect V.P. Zeidler, who proposed five facade options. However, the public sharply criticized these projects. Newspapers wrote that the building would look like an actress adorned with tinsel to attract attention. The final option was approved on November 29, 1899. The foundation laying took place on September 12, 1901. By 1902, the building was constructed in rough form and covered with an iron roof. In 1903 and 1904, under the guidance of architect N.M. Veshnyakov, the interior finishing was carried out. Oak panels and suspended ceilings were made by carpenter N. Kiselynikov, while the ceiling paintings were done by artist S. Fyodorov. Decorative elements from the pavilion of the All-Russian Exhibition of 1896 were used for embellishment.

The Duma building was consecrated on April 18, 1904. The first floors along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street were rented out to shops. In 1908, the meeting hall was adorned with the painting "The Appeal of Minin" by K. E. Makovsky, gifted to the city by the emperor. On March 28, 1911, shortly before N.A. Bugrov's death, a memorial plaque was installed on the wall of the grand staircase with an inscription about his contribution to the construction of the building.

During the Soviet era, the building was renamed first to the House of Unions, then to the "Palace of Labor." Today it belongs to the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court.