Pyotr Ivanovich Shchukin was one of the largest collectors in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. He came from a family of honorary citizens, was an actual state councilor, a merchant, a patron of the arts, and the founder of the private museum "Russian Antiquities."

In 1891, Shchukin acquired a plot on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where a year later architect B.V. Freidenberg built a "fairy tower" that housed his collection. It was known for its diversity and included weapons, fabrics, carpets, paintings, engravings, church utensils, dishes, and jewelry. A special place was occupied by the library. Since 1895, the museum became accessible to everyone, and Pyotr Ivanovich personally conducted tours and provided commentary on the exhibits. Renowned artists such as A. Vasnetsov, V. Serov, and V. Surikov worked in this place. Many decorative elements were inspired by 17th-century Russian architecture.

In 1905, Shchukin transferred his collection along with the land and buildings to the Historical Museum. The estate became part of the Imperial Russian Historical Museum named after Emperor Alexander III, known as the P.I. Shchukin Museum. At the time of the transfer, the collection surpassed all the funds of the Historical Museum. Shchukin remained the custodian of the collection until the end of his life, replenishing it and publishing catalogs. After his death in 1912, the museum ceased to exist, and the collections were moved to the Historical Museum.

From 1923 to 1924, the buildings housed the funds of the Museum of Old Moscow, later the Museum of Central Industry of the region was located there. In 1928, the estate was converted into a student dormitory. In 1934, two of the three buildings of the estate became part of the State Biological Museum named after K.A. Timiryazev. Only in 1995 did the museum complex receive the status of a monument of urban planning and architecture of federal significance.