This ancient house on Moscow's Varvarka Street has survived by a miracle. It is valuable not only for its unique architecture but also as a monument of pre-Peter the Great architecture. It was built in the 15th century by the royal bedchamber servant Ivan Bobrishchev. He had no children, and after his death, the house changed hands until it became state property in the 1550s.

At that time, Russia was actively developing trade relations with England. Ivan the Terrible granted the English significant privileges and, as a gesture of goodwill, gifted them the house on Varvarka. Like many trading buildings of that time, it combined grand rooms with extensive storage and utility spaces. The English lived here quite comfortably. By the decree of Ivan the Terrible, they were delivered 50 eggs, 2 buckets of honey, wine, 4 rams, 12 chickens, 2 geese, 50 loaves of bread daily, and on holidays, hares and black grouse.

In this house, English merchants made deals and received guests. They supplied Russia with gunpowder, tin, lead, and fabrics, while exporting expensive furs, wax, timber, and hemp. Their business was successful, and soon they opened offices in Nizhny Novgorod and Veliky Novgorod, with the house on Varvarka becoming their central office. Trade relations with England continued until 1649, when King Charles I was executed in England, leading to a political crisis and the merchants' return home. Their property was confiscated, and the house became state property again.

Later, the English chambers housed an Arithmetic school, a church courtyard, and merchant shops. By the early 20th century, the building had lost its original features and was lost among other constructions. During the Soviet era, there were plans to build a Stalinist skyscraper nearby and lay a highway. However, a fortunate incident helped preserve the building: architect Baranovsky, inspecting the area, discovered the ancient structure and suggested to the Moscow authorities to preserve it as a monument of architecture. As a result, the building was restored to its historical appearance.