One of the pre-revolutionary architectural monuments of Rostov-on-Don is the building that previously housed the main building of Warsaw (Don) University. Today, it is one of the buildings of Southern Federal University. It was constructed in 1912-1914 according to the design of architect I.E. Cherkessian, who was a student at the Institute of Civil Engineers at that time.

Architecturally, the building stands out with its corner part of the facade featuring three Ionic semi-columns, reaching a height of three stories. The vertical division of the facade is provided by braces and semi-circular bay windows located from the second to the fourth floor. The floor division is emphasized by windows of various shapes and sizes. The facade is adorned with stucco emblems, decorative vases, garlands, brackets, cornices, and balconies. The style of the building combines elements of Art Nouveau and Neoclassicism.

Initially, the building was constructed on the initiative of the city council as a tenement house, but the completion of construction coincided with the beginning of World War I. In 1915, when German troops approached Warsaw, it was decided to evacuate Warsaw University to Rostov-on-Don. The former tenement house became the main building of the university, housing the departments of history and philology, physics and mathematics, law, and medicine, as well as scientific societies, laboratories, and clinics. In 1917, the university was renamed Don University, and it existed in this format until the arrival of Soviet power, after which it was transformed into Rostov University and moved to the former house of merchant Kistov.

After the relocation of Rostov University, the building housed a Pedagogical Institute, which became a university in 1993 and joined Southern Federal University in 2006. Today, this building is one of the buildings of Southern Federal University and is recognized as a cultural heritage site of regional significance.