Here he opened a brilliant restaurant of French cuisine, simply calling it “Ernest”. Three years later, the house was rebuilt in stone, and St. Petersburg received another characteristic example of architectural eclecticism.

Architects Kovsharov and Sonne, who designed the house for Igel, were inspired by the style of Louis XVI. In addition to the mansion itself, several more stone structures were built on the site, united by common architectural features.

After the revolution, the building was occupied by the House of Proletarian Culture, the district council and other officials. The facade of the old mansion is in disrepair, the interiors have been looted. Homeless people lived in the old mansion for a long time, and the passage for outsiders was open around the clock. Some particularly active inhabitants of the mansion even [took money] (https://kudago.com/spb/news/v-usadbe-igelya-na/) from tourists for entering the territory of the architectural monument.

Today, the mansion was taken under protection. In 2020, it was reported that after the restoration, the building will be occupied by a hotel.