TSUAB history dates back to 1901 when the First Siberian Merchant School was established. In 1904 merchants of Tomsk put their efforts together with city authorities to construct special building for the school which is currently known as the second building of TSUAB ("the red one"). The project was headed by famous architect Konstantin K. Lygin. During Revolution and Civil War the school turned from specialized educational establishment into higher education institution: at Kolchak time it was occupied by Academy of General Staff of Russian Army evacuated from Moscow, further at Soviet times it turned into First Siberian Applied Polytechnic Institute.