Due to a family scandal, Prince Nikolai Konstantinovich Romanov, who was accused of stealing family jewels from relatives, was exiled from the capital and settled in Tashkent in 1881.

In this city, the disgraced representative of the Romanov House actively engaged in economic and educational activities: he built an irrigation canal, improved roads, erected a theater, opened factories, and established a scholarship fund for students from the Turkestan region who could not afford university tuition. He also provided financial assistance to a veterans' home for the disabled. Thanks to his efforts, the previously shabby city underwent significant transformation, and Nikolai Konstantinovich's palace became one of the architectural gems of the region.

The palace was built in 1891, taking into account the local climate conditions. For example, the cool basements housed summer rooms and a large kitchen. The prince's son, Alexander Nikolaevich, described it as spacious, with a long dining table and massive chairs with high leather backs and carved elements.

From the central hall, several doors led to different areas: one led upstairs to the library and billiard room, while another opened into a hall that effectively served as a home museum. Here, ivory figurines, the prince's medals and orders, precious jewelry, and much more were stored.

Particular attention was drawn to a model of the Khiva fortress, depicting an episode of the storming of the Turkestan citadel: Russian soldiers were climbing the walls under fire from the Khivans, dead bodies lay below, and above a wounded Cossack, his loyal horse bowed its head.

Next to the estate, a beautiful garden with streams and bridges was laid out. Shortly before his death in 1918, Romanov bequeathed the estate to be turned into a museum.

Later, it housed a palace for pioneers, and today it is the Reception House of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.