Nikolay Ivanov was born on December 10, 1926 in the Kursk region. In 1943 he went to the front, where he served as a gunner in a self-propelled artillery regiment. For Battle Merit Ivanov was awarded the Medal ‘For Courage’. In 1943 Ivanov was seriously wounded in the leg and he was demobilized.

Nikolay Ivanov created the painting “Flood water” in 1982. He depicted on it the Oskol River overflowing its banks, flowing in the settlement of Urazovo. The picture shows a lot of water and sky. They are written in one blue palette, as a sign of the unity of the elements. The smooth surface of the water seems to be untouched by nature and man.

The artist depicted nature in early spring, when the ice melts on the rivers. There is a lot of water, and it floods everything around. Nature begins to awaken, and the air becomes warmer. The aroma of spring is felt in everything. In the foreground, there are willows surrounded by water on all sides. The first grass is already visible on the thawed patches, and in the distance the chalk mountains are still covered with snow.
Nikolay Ivanov was able to convey the simple beauty of the spring nature of his homeland — the Belgorod region. The picture clearly shows how professionally he dabbed and faithfully displayed a static landscape.