Gavrila Gavrilovich Solodovnikov was a well-known Russian entrepreneur and philanthropist, holding the position of actual state councilor. He was considered one of the wealthiest merchants and property owners in Moscow, directing over 20 million rubles to charity. With his funds, a theater on Bolshaya Dmitrovka was built (later becoming the Moscow Operetta Theater), a clinic at the medical faculty of Moscow University, several houses for the underprivileged in Moscow, an orphanage, and several schools in four provinces of Russia.

He was born in 1826 in Serpukhov. His father, Gavriil Petrovich Solodovnikov, was a merchant of the third guild and traded paper goods at fairs. From a young age, Gavrila helped in his father's shops but did not receive an education. After his father's death and receiving his share of the inheritance, he moved to Moscow, where he successfully developed his business. By the age of 20, he became a first-guild merchant, and by 40, he was a multimillionaire with a capital of over 10 million rubles. Despite his wealth, he was known for his frugality and calculation. Legends circulated about his stinginess: it was said that he saved on food and wore a patched robe.

In the 19th century, honesty was an important trait in merchant transactions, which were often concluded verbally and sealed with a handshake. However, Solodovnikov did not always adhere to this custom. In 1862, he deceived his friend merchant Uskov and bought a building on Kuznetsky Most for two and a half million rubles, which he then reconstructed and equipped with a theater hall. Solodovnikov's passage remained an important trading point in Moscow until 1941, when it was hit by a German bomb.

Solodovnikov also gained fame for his charitable activities in the field of art. In 1895, he made the first contribution to the construction of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. With his 200 thousand rubles, a luxurious marble staircase was built, symbolizing the spiritual elevation of man through art.

Gavrila Gavrilovich passed away on May 21, 1901, in Moscow after a prolonged illness. His estate at the time of his death was estimated at 20,977,700 rubles, of which 830,000 rubles he bequeathed to relatives. However, the real sensation was the second part of the will, which stipulated that the remaining 20,147,700 rubles be divided into three parts. The first part was intended for the establishment of women's schools in Tver, Arkhangelsk, Vologda, and Vyatka provinces. The second part was for the establishment of vocational schools and an orphanage for rootless children in the Serpukhov district. The third part was to go towards the construction of cheap apartments for the poor. In his will, he noted that the working class, living by honest labor, deserves protection from the injustices of fate.