Until 2017, Nashchokin's house, which had already been rebuilt into a two-story building, housed an art gallery, which was called the Nashchokin House. It exhibited exhibits from the collections of major Russian museums and works of contemporary art. The gallery has been operating since 1994.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the house was one-story stone, with a wooden mezzanine built in three windows. Pushkin's close friend Pavel Voinovich Nashchokin lived in it. It was a darling of fate, a player and a rake, attracting the greatest contemporaries with his originality of mind and constant charm. Pushkin often visited him when he came to Moscow. Nashchokin was the godfather of the poet's eldest son. By the way, it was he who presented Alexander Sergeevich with the plot of Dubrovsky.

This is what the poet wrote to his wife on his last visit to the capital in 1836: “Nashchokin gets up late, I talk with him — look, it's time to have lunch, and then have dinner and sleep there — and the day has passed.” Pavel Nashchokin was a patron of the arts and philanthropist. He had a hobby in which this big child invested a lot of money: a miniature glass replica of his house, completely recreating the interior of the mansion with furniture, mirrors and books. But in the next difficult times, the owner sold his favorite toy. The story of this curiosity is told in Veltman's novel “Not a house, but a toy!”

Pushkin wanted to write a book “Russian Pelam” about his friend, but did not have time. Gogol in the second volume of Dead Souls, where he planned to show the best types of Russian landowners, portrayed Nashchokin as the landowner Khlobuev, an intelligent and kind person, but completely helpless in financial affairs.

During the last dinner at Nashchokin's, the poet spilled Provencal oil and, being very superstitious, was very upset. To comfort his friend, the owner presented Pushkin with a talisman ring that protects him from violent death. But before the duel, Pushkin took off this ring and gave it to his second. Having learned about the death of the poet, Nashchokin lay down — his left half of his body was taken away, and a few years later he died.