Nikolai Nikitich Nikonov was one of the outstanding architects of St. Petersburg at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. He actively worked in the field of church architecture and held the position of diocesan architect of the city. Among his works are the Ioannovsky Convent, the "Brotherly House", the Pokrov Church on Borovaya Street, as well as numerous buildings and churches in Moscow, Tallinn, Poltava, and Valaam.

Nikonov was born on April 8, 1849, into a peasant family in the village of Onofrevo in the Poshekhonsky district of the Yaroslavl province. In October 1872, he enrolled as a free listener at the Academy of Arts, but was expelled in 1881 for irregular attendance. Despite this, Nikonov successfully engaged in construction. A self-taught individual, thanks to his talent and perseverance, he achieved significant success: he became an assistant to architect I. Monighetti, obtained the right to build, and earned the title of architect. Nikonov became a prominent representative of the "Russian style" sought since the time of Nicholas I. Although church architecture typically referred to the Byzantine style, Nikonov drew inspiration from Russian architecture of the 14th-17th centuries and folk architecture, especially in decorative elements. His love for bright colors led to the use of polychrome glazed ceramics, popular among ancient Russian craftsmen.

On May 14, 1896, Nikonov was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus of the 3rd degree and became a lifetime member of the St. Petersburg Diocesan Brotherhood. On November 17, 1906, he resigned from his position as diocesan architect at his own request but continued to work actively. From 1909 to 1915, based on his project, the Church of the Kazan Mother of God was built in Terijoki (now Zelenogorsk). This multi-domed church with a high bell tower, about 50 meters tall, is conveniently located on a hill at the entrance from Primorsky Highway to the city center.

The great architect passed away in 1918 in Samara, where he had lived and worked for a long time.