The apartment house was built in 1911-1914 according to the project of three brothers-architects Leonty, Yuliy and Albert Benois. Therefore, it is also called the "house of the three Benois". Its facades overlook three streets — Bolshaya Pushkarskaya, Kronverkskaya andKamennoostrovsky Prospect. The building has about 250 apartments, 25 front doors and 12 courtyards, it occupies an entire block and after construction was considered the largest residential complex in St. Petersburg.

The house is built in neoclassical style, the facade is decorated with details,columns and sculptures. It was initially designed to provide convenient infrastructure:elevators, hot and cold water, telephones, its own power plant and boiler room. There has been many famous tenants for a hundred years of the house’s history: a relative of Emperor Nicholas II, Royal Prince Gavriil Konstantinovich, composer Dmitry Shostakovich, head of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Sergey Kirov.

In memory of Kirov, a memorial museum was opened in the house. There is also a theatre on its territory, and one of the walls of the building is decorated with a composition of five bas-reliefs"Wall of Centuries" dedicated to famous persons of science and art.