This century-old building belongs to Kyiv Karaites, the Jewish religious communion who lives according to the Old Testament and not the Talmud. A prominent Kyiv architect, Horodetsky, designed the building for Solomon Kohan, a tobacco magnate and the head of the Karaite communion. It was opened in 1902. Elio Zola, an Italian architect, fashioned the interiors with imitation antique stone carving. He used the newest and most expensive material available at the time, cement. The building had the latest amenities: electricity, central heating and ventilation. During Soviet times the building was partially destroyed and it lost its dome. Now it serves as a House of Artists and hosts various cultural events.