Stories about the eccentricities of “millionaires”, who bathe horses in champagne or place incredible bets, are loved by the public for their colorful details and cranky plots. Ekaterinburg, too, has something to boast about. Notably, it was here that the frenetic gold-mining spree occurred. Nikolai Sevastyanov, of course, was a character of a different sort. Nonetheless, he was a special assignments officer under Glinka, the head of the Ural Mining Factories, the chief inspector of the Ural Factories state metal caravans. In 1860, after retiring, he purchased a 3-story stone house in the center of Ekaterinburg and rebuilt it according to a design by architect Paduchev. Here is where the story gets interesting. Sevastyanov, purportedly, decides to gild the rotunda roof in gold. However, golden domes were granted exclusively to spiritual institutions, which imposed a severe penance on the arrogant man – to serve the nearest church every morning wearing iron slippers. It’s difficult to believe but, in any case, the house turned out remarkable. Classic at its core, it was upgraded with neo-Gothic and Baroque elements, and to this day stands out against its brethren of unearthly gloss and panache. Later, the house was sold to the Ministry of Justice and has housed the district court since 1874. After the revolution, the Ural Commissariat of Labor settled in its stone walls first, then Regional Trade Union Council. The mansion was restored in 2008, awarding it the official status of presidential residence.