The mansion of the merchant Mikhail Pavlovich Sokolov was built in 1899 to a design by the architect Oleksyi Beketov at Blagovischenska Street, 17.

Oleksyi Beketov’s Neo-Renaissance buildings were usually concentrated in the central, upland part of Kharkiv, so it is somewhat unusual to see such a building in this area.

Incidentally, the neighbouring plot at Blagovischenska Street, 19 was registered in the name of the merchant’s wife, Ksenia Gerasimivna Sokolova.

The highlight of the building is the assembly hall with a ceiling painting entitled ‘The Apotheosis of Apollo’, painted by the Ukrainian artist Mykola Uvarov, who is also known for his murals in the Poltava Zemstvo building.

The building currently houses the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Dermatology and Venereology Dispensary. The dispensary has been located in the building since the 1920s. From 1922 to 2015, Blagovischenska Street was named after Karl Marx.

On 14 March 2022, a Russian shell struck the building. The resulting fire destroyed the roof and severely damaged the assembly hall and Uvarov’s ceiling.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, community organisations, patrons and foundations, a temporary roof was installed in 2023 to preserve the building pending a full restoration in the future.

Пошкоджену картину Уварова також вдалося демонтувати для подальшої реставрації.