In 1898, Simbirsk celebrated its 250th anniversary. The town council decided to install a commemorative plaque on the house where Goncharov was born. However, the insufficient town funds prevented this from happening for a long time. In 1907, just when the authorities were desperate enough to think of making a simple wooden plaque, Simbirsk merchants Yurgenses, who had owned the Goncharovs’ house from 1880, got involved, offering to install the commemorative bas-relief at their own expense.

Luckily, the order arrived on time, and the ceremony was scheduled for Sunday, September 16, 1907. The granite plaque, weighing 70 Russian poods, which is around 1,150 kilograms, was attached to the wall of the house by specially hired workers, supervised by the architect Auguste Chaudet.

The “Simbiryanin” newspaper devoted a whole article to the plaque opening ceremony, saying that a special platform and a gazebo, decorated with verdure and flowers, were placed before the monument. Priests of the city churches held a memorial service for the writer and then dedicated the plaque. A Simbirsk photographer Mikhail Cherkasov managed to capture this moment. The ceremony was attended by Simbirsk Vice-Governor Pyotr Shilovsky, Mayor Nikolay Volkov, as well as representatives of public establishments and members of social classes, pupils of educational institutions, and ordinary citizens.