Behind the Kaluga Gates of the Earth City in the 18th century, there was a rare but diverse development. On the site of the current MISiS and Mining University, there was a Tatar cemetery until 1771, which was then closed and relocated. Count A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky acquired this territory along with the neighboring estate of the Volynskys. Soon, he resold the estate to his relative D.N. Lopukhin. In the early 19th century, architect A.N. Bakarev, a student of M.F. Kazakov, built a mansion here in the style of his teacher. After Lopukhin's death in 1809, the estate passed to A.A. Orlova-Chesmensky and was later sold to the Poltoratsky family. In 1812, the estate avoided destruction from the Moscow fire and looters. The first ball after the expulsion of the French took place here, and in 1814, an even more grand ball was held in honor of the capture of Paris.

In 1832, the Moscow Merchant Society acquired the plot, and one of the branches of the Andreevsky Merchant Almshouse was established here. In 1835, the Moscow Merchant Society bought the estate to create a men's merchant school, for which extensions were made in 1836. Architect M.D. Bykovsky, responsible for social institutions in Moscow, built the Gorikhvostov Almshouse and the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity here, which have not survived. In 1859, architect P.S. Campioni added a story to the main house, and in 1863, architect A.S. Nikitin erected a building for the women's merchant school. By 1867, the territory was surrounded by an iron fence, and construction work was carried out by A.S. Kaminsky. Before World War I, the ponds on the territory were filled in.

Ideas for creating a Mining Institute in Moscow arose even before the revolution. In 1918, the Soviet government decided to establish the Moscow Mining Academy. In 1930, the academy was divided into several universities, and its successor became the Mining Institute. The building of the former Merchant School was reconstructed for new needs both before and after the Great Patriotic War. Architects V.F. Krinsky and A.M. Rukhlyadev worked here, as well as B.M. Iofan, who designed the new appearance of the institute. However, the construction of a building comparable to Moscow State University did not take place.

A monument in memory of the students and teachers who went to the front is installed in front of the Mining Institute. Among the institute's alumni are notable figures such as footballer Fyodor Cherenkov, former Deputy Mayor of Moscow Vladimir Resin, and actor Sergey Belogolovtsev. Since 2014, the Moscow State Mining University has become part of the National Research Technological University MISiS. The high degree of preservation of the historical structure of the buildings requires comprehensive scientific restoration.