Not far from the "Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad" metro station, deep in Zelyev Lane, among typical Soviet apartment buildings, lies a one-story brick house built in 1900. In the past, this area was the village of Cherkizovo, which has a history spanning several centuries. By the end of the 19th century, the village had become a suburb of Moscow, and in the early 20th century, it was incorporated into the city. To this day, only a few buildings from the rural structures have survived: two houses and a wooden fire station on Khamovaya Street, houses on Lermontovskaya Street and in Zhidkov Lane, the Church of Elijah the Prophet on Bolshaya Cherkizovskaya, and this house in Zelyev Lane.

Before the revolution, Zelyev Lane was called Aptekarsky, then briefly became Nazarovsky, and soon received its current name, related to the pharmacy business, as in ancient times, "zelya" referred to medicines.

The house was built by a prosperous peasant, Vasily Alekseevich Chernyshov, using bricks from the Mytishchi factory, as evidenced by the stamps with the owner's surname: "I. Gerasimov." At that time, stone buildings in these areas were a rarity, as the surrounding construction was predominantly wooden. The area of the house is about 60 square meters, and its original layout has hardly changed. The courtyard is hidden from prying eyes by a brick fence with wooden gates and a wicket, as well as a wooden picket fence. In front of the windows by the gates, there is a small front garden with a metal fence and brick pillars. The facades of the house are modestly decorated, and it is adjoined by wooden porches with carved trim and a veranda.

The next owner of the house was Alexey Grigoryevich Telnov, and in the mid-20th century, the house passed to the Sagalaev family. The head of the family, Grigory Vasilyevich Sagalaev, was a well-known chemist and educator, the founder of the Department of "Plastic Processing Technology" at the Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies named after M.V. Lomonosov. Under his guidance, the first scientific school for the technology of creating and processing filled plastics was organized in the country. Sagalaev lived in this house for most of his life.

The house is also associated with the name of the famous Soviet playwright A.N. Arbuzov. According to legend, it was here that he placed the heroines of his play "The Little House on the Outskirts," originally titled "The Little House in Cherkizovo." During the reconstruction of the area, the house was planned for demolition but miraculously survived. Interestingly, the house is still residential: it is inhabited by the widow of the scientist, Irina Petrovna Michenko. Furthermore, the house has been recognized as a cultural heritage site.