After studying Art and Architecture, Nikolai settled in Kostomuksha, a town near the Finnish border. Here he was involved in building projects as well as teaching painting and graphic art in the local school. In 1986 he had his first, very successful, exhibition of his work which took place in Karelia. Subsequent exhibitions have brought recognition and appreciation of his work, establishing him as an important artist.
Nikolai has also restored orthodox icons, and organised their illustration in books. His range of experience has had an important influence on his art. At present he prefers to work in oil, mainly painting figurative work, sometimes on canvas, but he usually creates his next work on the boards that he has previously used as his palette. These boards are rubbed down, but the underlying patterns, shapes and colours are used as inspiration for the new pictures.