Moscow's men's gymnasiums were state institutions of the Ministry of Public Education, and there were few of them in Moscow, with eleven known to exist. One such gymnasium was founded in 1902 on the basis of the Moscow six-class progymnasium and was located in the house of chamberlain Sergey Mikhailovich Sukhonin at Bolshaya Yakimanka, 33.

Yakimanka Street got its name in the 17th century thanks to the Annunciation Church with an altar dedicated to Saints Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin Mary. 1st Khvostov Lane, adjoining the street, has been named since 1922 after the Moscow boyar Alexei Petrovich Khvost Bosovolkov, who owned this area in the 14th century. It was previously called 1st Petropavlovsky. This place has an ancient history: as early as the 14th century, there was a road leading towards Kaluga. The area was sparsely populated and was called Kaluzhskaya Street, where craft settlements were located, as well as small officials, representatives of the clergy, and merchants. Due to spring floods on the Moscow River, which often inundated this territory, there was no mass construction until the end of the 18th century. However, the construction of a bypass canal in 1783-1786 partially solved this problem, and in the 18th century, beautiful mansions in the classical style began to appear on the street. In the 19th century, large apartment buildings and other structures were built here, changing the appearance of the area.

The house of S.M. Sukhonin, existing since 1818, was reconstructed for the men's gymnasium. In 1834, its facade was altered, and in 1913, a large volume was added, bringing the building closer to the street. The new facade is executed in the neoclassical style, preserving the traditions of late classicism and Empire style.

The main facade is adorned with a six-column portico of square-section half-columns, topped with an attic. Between the columns are relief images of two torch-lights framing a medallion with an ancient female head. On the walls to the sides are relief images of triple wreaths with ribbons, characteristic of the Empire style. The first floor of the building is rusticated. The side facade from 1st Khvostov Lane has similar decor, with added porches featuring an order and a side entrance staircase with a railing. The house has a U-shape.

The main facades are enclosed by a low fence on the parapet. The corner formed by the fences is adorned with an ancient arch with a portico, entablature, and attic. The passage through the arch to the territory of the garden is bricked up, and the tall trees growing there block the facade from the noise of the street in summer.

During the Soviet era, Yakimanka Street was widened threefold, but the former gymnasium building was unharmed as it was located on the odd side of the street. In 1957 and 1992, it was named Dimitrov Street in honor of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The building housed the VNIIPIIneft institute, and after restoration, it now hosts a business center.