In Rostov-on-Don, there are not many small residential houses from the pre-revolutionary period, unlike apartment buildings. One of the surviving single-story structures in the historical center of the city is the house of merchant Volkov, located at: Shaumyan Street, house 42 (formerly known as Dmitrievskaya).

The building is designed in a mixed style with elements of classicism. The name of the original client of the construction has not been preserved. It is only known that shortly after the completion of the construction, the house was acquired by the owner of music stores, merchant Leonid Adler, who then sold it to another merchant from Rostov, Ivan Volkov. Volkov traded in cloth at the Old Market and lived in this house with his family until the arrival of Soviet power. In 1920, the house was confiscated, and the further fate of the Volkov family is unknown.

Currently, despite its architectural value, the former Volkov house is in poor condition and needs urgent major repairs. Although cracks are not visible in the photographs, they are present, including one quite large crack. Below are three photographs of the house taken at different periods of its existence.