Gomel. Picus House (5 Proletarskaya Street).

The ravine, on the slope of which stood an apartment building of obviously well—to-do people, is the legendary Kagalny moat through which the Gomeyuk stream flowed, which gave its name to Gomiy-Gomel. In the second half of the 19th century, the ravine was built up with houses of the Jewish poor.

Small wooden houses densely clung to the slopes of the ravine, which stretched almost along the entire street of Kuznechnaya (now — International). At one time, the glory of the most criminal district of Gomel was firmly established behind the Kagalny Moat.

In 1918, a congress of Soviet partisans and underground fighters from Gomel region, who fought against the German and Hetman occupiers, was held in the intricate corners of the Kagalny Moat. And until recently, during excavation work, the remains of a German soldier in a uniform from the First World War were found in the Kagalny Moat, or a rusty Browning model 1903 was dug up by someone.

The apartment building at 5 Proletarskaya Street, known as the Pikus House, was built in the 1870s by Pitunov. The visionary Old Believer promptly responded to the urban changes by investing profitably in real estate for rent. After the construction of two railways, Gomel grew from a city of 15,000 to one hundred thousand by 1910. The housing problem was acute in the fast-growing city and apartment rentals were in demand. At the beginning of the 20th century, rent in Gomel reached 500 rubles a year, bringing significant profits to the owners of apartment buildings. Pitunov was not mistaken when he invested in construction on the prestigious Feldmarshalskaya Street.

The house could house a dining room and shops. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was acquired by Pikus, opening a haberdashery store, whose sign gave the building the name "House of Pikus".

The Pitunov-Pikus house has a unique architectural feature: it is one–storeyed from Proletarskaya Street, and three-storeyed from the Kagalny Moat. Originally wooden, it was lined with brick due to a city law prohibiting large wooden buildings in the center due to fire danger, as Gomel has experienced several large-scale fires.

The window decoration with brick "platbands" in the Russian style recalls the wooden past of the building, probably repeating the original wooden details.

Both before and after the war, the building was used for housing.

In the 90s, offices of various commercial organizations began to be located in the Pikus house. The part of the building that was not in demand by them began to fall into disrepair, as did the neighboring houses of this alley. Now they have already been demolished, and a parking lot has been set up in their place.

The Picus House as an architectural landmark is protected by law. It was restored. There is an office center inside.