Nikolai Nikolaevich Mamontov was born on May 25, 1836, in Moscow to merchant Nikolai Fyodorovich Mamontov and his wife Vera Stepanovna Vagina. His father founded a factory for sealing wax, varnishes, and paints, which he passed on to Nikolai and his brother Alexander in 1854, along with a brewery.

In 1858, the brothers established the "Partnership of Brothers N. and A. Mamontov," moving the enterprise to their own building beyond the Presnensky Gate. Nikolai became a member of the Moscow merchant class in 1863 and lived in his own house in Vagankovo.

After the death of Sosye, Nikolai led the fourth expedition of the Administrative Duma and became its accountant in mid-1868. From December 23, 1868, to April 5, 1871, he was a member of the city Administrative Duma, and from 1869 to 1876, he was elected from the Moscow merchant class.

In 1871, Mamontov participated in the census of Moscow in the Basmanny district. From 1873 to 1881, he was repeatedly elected as a member of the Moscow City Duma.

In October 1872, Mamontov purchased 2700 desyatins of land in Sochi, part of which was located in the city center, while the rest was in the valleys of the Sochi and Agura rivers. In the Sochi river valley, he built the estate "Razdolnoe," where he created a park and a nursery for rare plants. In 1883, he sold this estate to the Moscow philanthropist Khlyudov.

In 1872, Mamontov built a house from pine wood brought from Rostov. Contemporaries noted that the house was spacious but without excess. He named his dacha "Vera" in honor of his mother and sister. To create the park, Mamontov hired agronomist Reingold Garbe, who involved Alexander Fronshtein in the work. Garbe brought many varieties of trees and shrubs, including exotic plants.

According to Garbe, the park had about 80 varieties of watermelons and melons, as well as many flowers. Mamontov was also engaged in beekeeping and livestock farming.

After Mamontov's death in 1896, his estate passed to his brother Alexander. Nikolai Mamontov financed the construction of the first Orthodox church in Sochi, completed on October 25, 1890. He also published a series of books, including "Travel Notes on the Black Sea Region" by A.V. Vereshchagin.

In 1900, Alexander died, and the estate passed to his daughter Maria. In 1910, her husband Nikolai Kostaryov built a new two-story house on the site of the old one, retaining the name "Villa Vera."

After the October Revolution, "Villa Vera" was nationalized. In 1918, it housed the revolutionary executive committee, and in 1920, the act of surrender of Denikin's army was signed there. In 1923, a rest house for the employees of the Soviet government opened here, later becoming the Tsuryupa Sanatorium, which housed evacuation hospitals during the war. From 1963 to 1992, it was the Sochi Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren, and since 1992, it has been the city center for extracurricular activities.

In 1977, a film called "Enemies" was shot on the premises. Before the revolution, Kurortny Avenue in Sochi was called Mamontovsky Descent.

Mamontov passed away on March 1, 1896, in Moscow and was buried at the Alexeyevsky Convent.