The plot originally belonged to the estate of A. D. Menshikov. In 1713–1714, architect Shedel built here a clay church of the Resurrection of Christ with a tall bell tower; in 1730, the church was dismantled, and the chimes of the bell tower were given to the Church of Saints Simeon and Anna.

According to the project by I. Ya. Blank, in 1734 the first building of the riding hall of the First Cadet Corps was constructed, which had been housed in the Menshikov Palace shortly before that. The wooden structure quickly became dilapidated, and the office of the cadet corps petitioned the director, Prince B. G. Yusupov, for the construction of a new riding hall building.

The building was constructed between 1756 and 1759 under the supervision of I. Borchard. The two-story front building facing the embankment is joined by a one-story wing extending deep into the plot, forming a shape resembling the letter T in plan.

The elitism of the First Cadet Corps was due to the fact that children of the highest nobility studied there. Future officers underwent comprehensive training, and the riding hall of the First Corps, as expected, was intended for horseback riding training. The riding hall itself is rectangular and elongated along the modern Philological Lane. In principle, riding halls were built as functional buildings within a complex of structures—but the riding hall of the Cadet Corps is more of an exception to this rule. The front building was intended for distinguished guests observing the cadets’ training in the riding hall, and its facade, crowned with stucco, served as a ceremonial entrance for the arrival of august persons, since the Emperor personally supervised the Cadet Corps. Secondly, the facade faces the embankment of the Bolshaya Neva River and is an important part of the city’s grand architectural ensemble. The facade is divided into segments and decorated with complex profiles featuring prominently projecting pilasters. Sculptor I. Yust created the decorative sculptural panel and details of the window surrounds, which make the building’s facade elegant and festive. The main facade has rich decorative ornamentation, adorned with strongly projecting pilasters and divided by intricately profiled entablatures above each floor; above the central part is a segmental pediment (similar to the one that previously decorated the Menshikov Palace, whose design the building imitates). Symmetrically on either side of the central risalit were arches for entry into the riding hall, which were bricked up and partially glazed in the 19th century. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the main facade closed the perspective of the Isaakievsky Bridge. The front building was intended for distinguished guests observing the cadets’ training in the riding hall. In the 1820s–1830s, D. E. Filippov lived in the house. From the mid-19th century, the building housed the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions and an archive; the main building was occupied for some time by the corps printing house.

In 1843, under the direction of V. V. Kokorev, the building underwent restoration with partial remodeling, replacement of floors, repair of ceilings, restoration of stucco, replacement of ceilings with the removal of pendentives (pointed vaults were created), and the creation of a doorway in the main facade. A stone staircase was built, and Untermarck stoves were installed in the openings of the western and eastern walls. A plinth of Putilov limestone was laid under the building.

In the 1870s, one-story extensions were added to the building, which were dismantled in 1953–1954 (according to other sources, in 1949–1952).

During the Soviet era, the riding hall remained under the military department. In the 1990s, the building was abandoned. In 2003, it underwent restoration work. After restoration, the building has been used as a restaurant.

Sources:

https://www.citywalls.ru/house431.html

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Манеж_Первого_кадетского_корпуса