The author was inspired to create this literary organization by the real and very respected organization in the twenties of the last century, the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers, or RAPP. It was located at 25 Tverskoy Boulevard. It was this house that became the artistic prototype of MassoLit.

Such institutions existed in Soviet times so that writers who had membership in them were not listed as unemployed (otherwise parasites). MASSOLIT had a prestigious restaurant and departments in charge of vouchers, advances and other benefits for the writing brethren. It should be noted that there is no library in the House of Writers. The name of the house by the name of Griboedov in the novel hints not so much at the historical past of this place, but at the gastronomic interests of its visitors. The director of the Massolita restaurant also had a real prototype - the director of the public canteen of the Herzen D. Rosenthal. There are many other characters in the novel written off from the regulars of the House of Herzen.

Writers have not left this monastery so far: the Literary Institute named after A. M. Gorky.

The house got its real name due to the fact that Alexander Ivanovich Herzen was born in this building in 1812.