Alexander Nikanorovich Pomerantsev, one of the outstanding Russian architects, was born in Moscow and left a significant mark on the architecture of many cities in the Russian Empire, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, and Chelyabinsk. At the request of the Bulgarian prince, he also built the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Sofia.

Born in 1849, Pomerantsev graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture with a Small Silver Medal at the age of 25, and then from the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg with a first-degree gold medal for his train station project. After his studies, he traveled to Italy, France, and Switzerland to study their architecture. In 1887, upon returning to Russia, he was awarded the title of academician of architecture.

In Rostov-on-Don, Pomerantsev built a tenement house for merchant Gench-Ogulaev, which became his first work in this city and was included in the list of cultural heritage sites. Thanks to the success of this project, he received numerous commissions, including the construction of the city government building, which is considered the most beautiful in Rostov Oblast and Southern Russia.

In 1882, Bulgarian Prince Alexander I of Battenberg commissioned Pomerantsev to design the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, which was completed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Pomerantsev's most famous work became the Upper Trading Rows in Moscow, the largest covered market in Europe at that time, which surpassed a similar center in Milan in elegance. He also created numerous secular and religious buildings, such as the Church of Dmitry of Thessalonica in Berezovka. Most of his works were done in the popular eclectic style of the time.

In addition to designing, Pomerantsev was actively involved in teaching and held many honorary titles. In 1888, he became an adjunct professor of the architectural class at the Academy of Arts, and from 1893 he was a full member of the Academy, serving as its president in 1899-1900. From 1892, he taught architecture, was a member of the Moscow Architectural Society, and taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, as well as at the Gunsta School of Fine Arts.

In the early 20th century, Pomerantsev built the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway, an important part of Russian railways. After the revolution, many of his works were lost, but the surviving ones became cultural heritage sites.

After the arrival of Soviet power, Pomerantsev's health deteriorated, and he passed away in November 1918, unable to withstand the upheavals of that time.