The building, constructed in 1914, originally served as an educational facility for the Moscow Higher Women's Courses. The main complex was located at the beginning of the street, known then as Malaya Tsaritsynskaya, now Malaya Pirogovskaya.

The Moscow Higher Women's Courses, also known as the Gerye Courses, were established in 1872 at the initiative of historian and professor of Moscow University Vladimir Ivanovich Gerye, who became their first director. The creation of this private educational institution was a response to the growing desire of women in Russia to obtain higher education, as they were not allowed to enroll in universities. Initially, the courses had the status of a general educational institution, and their graduates could not receive a university diploma. The diplomas issued to students allowed them to teach certain subjects in women's gymnasiums.

At first, the courses were located in the building of the 1st Men's Gymnasium on Volkhnka, and then in the Polytechnic Museum. The duration of study was two years, later extended to three years. The main focus was on the humanities: history, literature, art history, and philosophy. Mathematics, physics, and astronomy were also taught, but to a lesser extent. Lectures were mainly delivered by professors from Moscow University, as stipulated in the Courses' charter. The work of the Courses was overseen by a pedagogical council chaired by Professor Sergey Mikhailovich Solovyov. Education was fee-based, but some students studied with the help of charitable donations.

In 1886, due to the tightening of state policy, admission to the courses was prohibited, and in 1888 they closed. However, in 1900, it was decided to revive the Moscow Higher Women's Courses, and V.I. Gerye became their director again. The Ministry of Education began allocating funds for the maintenance of the Courses. The duration of study was increased to four years, and two faculties were established: the historical-philosophical (later historical-philological) and the physical-mathematical. The best educators from Moscow University taught. In 1906, a medical faculty was added, bringing the structure of the courses closer to classical university education. In 1915, the Courses were granted the right to issue higher education diplomas, effectively becoming the Moscow Women's University. This contributed to their popularity: by 1918, with more than eight thousand students, the Courses were second only to Moscow University in terms of enrollment.

With the increase in the number of students, the need for new buildings arose. The Moscow Duma allocated a plot in Devichye Pole, where construction began in 1907 under the guidance of the new director, Professor Sergey Alexeyevich Chaplygin. The main building was constructed at the corner of Malaya Tsaritsynskaya Street and Trubetskoy Lane (now Kholzunov Lane) according to the design of architect Sergey Ustinovich Solovyov. Nearby were the medical building with an anatomical theater and the building of the physical-mathematical faculty. The last building was constructed on Malaya Tsaritsynskaya Street (Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, 29) according to the design of architect Otto Wilhelmovich von Dessin, equipped with an observatory.

After the 1917 revolution, the Moscow Higher Women's Courses were transformed into the 2nd Moscow State University. In 1919, the historical-philological and physical-mathematical faculties became part of Moscow University (1st MSU). In 1921, a pedagogical faculty was established at the 2nd MSU, which later became the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute (university). It now occupies the former main building of the Women's Courses (Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, 1) and the educational building at Malaya Pirogovskaya, 29.