Until recently, the Tolstoy House in Odessa was known more as the House of Scientists. The building of the Odessa House of Scientists near the Sabaneev Bridge is interesting, if only because it is the only noble mansion in the city, in which most of the interior decoration has been preserved in its original form. M. M. Tolstoy, the son of one of the most influential people in Novorossia, despite his position, did not abuse him at all, behaved with restraint and, with his desire to help society, stood out from secular society. For more than 10 years he was the first director of the Odessa Opera House. By the way, when the first building of the theater burned down, it was he who allocated most of the funds for the construction of a new theater building from personal funds. Also, Count M.M. Tolstoy was a trustee of many educational institutions. In 1934, the Odessa House of Scientists moved to the former Tolstoy mansion, where it has been operating continuously to this day.