He attended courses at the Artists’ Association of Revolutionary Russia guided by Ilya Mashkov and studied at Surikov Institute under Boris Ioganson. In 1942 Nikolai became a member of the USSR Union of Artists.
Nikolai attended classes at the Artists' Association of Revolutionary Russia, instructed by Ilya Mashkov, and studied at the Surikov Institute under Boris Ioganson. He joined the USSR Union of Artists in 1942.