A massive fire that took place in Petersburg in 1862, when many city residents and traders, lost their properties, made Evgeny Lamanski pay attention to the Western system of bank crediting of small business.

[1] He suggested to the then minister of financies Count Michael von Reutern the project of a society of mutual credit.

On April 9, 1863, the Russian Emperor signed the Charter of the first Saint-Petersburg Society of Mutual credit.

The society shared in social activities, including support of regions suffering from low harvest, war campaigns and monuments setup.

[2] The society was managed by a board (pravlenie) composed of five persons supervised by deputies elected for three years by the general assembly.

Later, in 1871, the society found a larger place in a private apartment in Lesnikov's house located on 18/27 Ekaterininsky canal.

In 1887 the board suggested that the General Assembly give them a loan of 500,000 Rubles to construct a building for the Society.

The Assembly commissioned a board member Mikhail Nikitich Kobyzev (Michel Kobyseff) and Count Suzor to Europe in order to study the organization of bank and credit.

From the European trip, Kobyzev brought the idea of Safety deposit boxes , which was successfully implemented in Russia.