The merchant Korobov’s mansion dates from the latter half of the 17th century. This is the oldest residential building in Kaluga. In the late XIX century, the building was occupied by one of the first museums of local lore in Russia, the Provincial Historical Museum. But later the museum changed its name.
The Korobov's Chambers with front stairs and arched windows are considered to be the only monument of residential Old Russian wooden architecture in the city, of its latest period. A red and white building in the style of Naryshkin Baroque belonged to the prosperous merchant Korobov. However, the descendants of Korobov did not live in this house as early as 1890s, and that turned very nasty: someone rumored it that the old house of a rich merchant might definitely contain hiding-places with treasures. As a result, the house was badly damaged from the inside by crafty treasure hunters. In 1897 the Chambers were occupied by the exposition of the Provincial Historical Museum for 25 years, and a museum devoted to the local life and history of Kaluga has been working here since 1977. The museum exhibits archaeological finds and a collection of coins, as well as the recreated life of Kaluga families of various estates and eras.