The building of the Russian Empire consulate in Shanghai is one of the oldest in the city.

The history of the Russian consulate in Shanghai dates back to the 19th century. In 1858, a decision was made to establish a non-staff consular agency. In 1875, the position of the general consul of the Russian Empire in Shanghai was introduced, with Konstantin Skachkov appointed to this position until 1880. In 1882, the consulate again became non-staff.

The second establishment of a staff consulate of Russia occurred on November 25, 1896, and this date later became regarded as its founding day. It was named the Russian Imperial General Consulate in Shanghai. Pavel Dmitrevsky was appointed as the general consul. The consular district included Shanghai and the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.

In July 1914, at the confluence of the Suzhou River into the Huangpu, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acquired a plot of land for the construction of the consular building. The project was developed by German architect Hans Emil Lieb, who chose an eclectic style combining Baroque and German Renaissance. On January 14, 1917, the four-story consulate building, covering an area of 3,264 m², was officially accepted.

From 1917 to 1924, the consulate did not submit to Bolshevik authority, being headed by the general consul of the Russian Empire, Viktor Fyodorovich Grosse. In July 1924, upon leaving his post, he removed the emblem of the Empire, the double-headed eagle, from the facade of the building.