The history of Borisoglebsk can be summed up in a few periods. This cityscape captured the view of the city during the third period, which took place from the mid-to-late 19th century till the early 20th century, when the survived to the present day architectural image of the city was formed.

Primarily, in 1698 Borisoglebsk was created as a military point defending from invaders. However, by the end of the 18th century it had lost its military significance as a result of the extension of the southern borders.
The city started to develop commerce and crafts. From the second part of the 19th century many manufactures of different areas along with the industrial ones were founded there. The manufactures were actively engaged into selling of bread, livestock, timber, agricultural produce, leather products. The geographical position of the city was also advantageous as it gave access to a few number of Russian ports, which let it arrange the lively trade of the products of different types with the foreign merchants.

Quiet times and economic growth led to the swell of local population, so the city started to expand its territory. The territory was built on with administrative buildings, banks, hospitals, store units, educational institutions, libraries. The manufacturing area was under formation as well with workshops, a steam powered mill, and a state winery. The appearance of Gryaz Tsaritsyno Railway in 1869 was of importance for the city inhabitants as it was used for bread, fish, salt transportation. By 1914 Borisoglebsk was nominally divided into two parts, the western one and the eastern one limited by a railroad from the south.

The culture life of the city was also in full swing, the newspaper The Tambov Governorate Journal started to be issued along with The Tambov Eparchial Journal. In the end of the same century merchant Nikolay Ivanov constructed the building where he installed a stage and laid the foundation of the theatre sphere in his native town.

In 1884 an article, where an author praisefully noted the activity of the theatre and underlined that such kind of art wasn’t regarded as the sinful one anymore, but useful by the citizens of Borisoglebsk, was published in one of the issues of The Tambov Governorate Journal.