As we have noted multiple times, Povarskaya Street is rich in architectural monuments from the pre-revolutionary era. Today we will discuss not only one of these old houses but also emphasize the social significance of the institution that emerged there thanks to the efforts of the famous philanthropists, the Rukavishnikovs.

The mansion was built after Napoleon's invasion and the fire that destroyed the previous estate. In 1818, Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Sheremetev began restoring the burned property. The first step was the reconstruction of the 1809 wing into a full-fledged small house. Then, in 1833, by the owner's order, the construction of wings on both sides of the house began, and soon a spacious and beautiful mansion emerged, adorned with many decorative elements, such as horizontal rustication, which refers back to earlier architectural styles.

Count Sheremetev did not live in this mansion and constantly rented it out, which is why many notable figures lived here at different times, from Bakunin, Pushkin's classmate, to Lobanov-Rostovsky, who was also a friend of the great poet. Alexander Sergeyevich himself visited here, as confirmed by the memories of his contemporaries. However, we are more interested in the late 19th century when the Rukavishnikovs became the new owners of the mansion. They did not plan to use the house for living but acquired it for charitable purposes. Soon, the former Sheremetev mansion opened the Titov School for girls. The school was headed by Yevdokiya Nikolayevna Rukavishnikova, the wife of the mayor Konstantin Vasilyevich Rukavishnikov, a cousin of Savva Mamontov, and the sister of the wife of the famous Tretyakov. Like the Rukavishnikovs' orphanage, the school was closed after the arrival of Soviet power, and the building was confiscated. Currently, the former Count Sheremetev mansion and the Titov School house the Russian-German Trade Bank.