Ilya Mechnikov studied at the 2nd Kharkiv Male Gymnasium from 1856 to 1862, starting from the second grade, and graduated with a gold medal. During this period, he lived with his brother Nikolai in a private boarding house run by K.I. Schultz, located at house No. 1 on Rozhdestvenskaya Street (1856-1858). Currently, a memorial plaque in honor of Mechnikov is installed on this building, which houses the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Zhovtnevyi District Administration of Kharkiv (1 Engels Street).

Ivan Petrovich Schultz is first mentioned in the history of Kharkiv as a valet to the merchant of the 1st guild Kuzma Nikitovich Kuzin in the 1830s. Inspired by the academic successes of his children, Kuzin suggested Schultz open a private boarding house for boys in Kharkiv. He not only helped Schultz establish relationships with the authorities but also purchased part of a courtyard plot from the nobleman Zimnitsky on Bolshaya Rozhdestvenskaya Street No. 8 (now Kontorskaya Street). The two-story stone house of the Zimnitskys was remodeled for classrooms and living quarters for the students, while two stone wings were built for other needs. A garden of decent size served as a place for daily walks.