Samokhvalov traveled with Petrov-Vodkin to Samarkand in 1921 as a member of the Expedition of Institute for History of Material Culture, and it was a critical moment in his life and outlook.

Another powerful influence on his style was his participation in the restoration process of Georgy's Cathrdral in Staraya Ladoga in 1926, where he discovered an ancient Russian painting.

He was very successful in images of heroes of labour and sport (Conductressa (1928); Girl with the kernel (1933), famous watercoloured series Builder of Metro (1933—1934), all at State Russian Museum), all of which had peculiar surrealistic charm.

Samokhvalov created many genre and historical paintings by commission; among them were Sergey Kirov Greeting Parad of Athletes (1935, State Russian Museum), Appearance of Vladimir Lenin in All-Russian Congress of Soviets (1939, State Russian Museum), Parade of Victory (1947, sketch for Palace of the Soviets, private collection), Sergey Kirov and Iosif Stalin at the Building of Volkhov Power Station (1950, private collection, London), and others.

From 1948 to 1951, Samokhvalov taught in the monumental painting department at the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named Vera Mukhina,[7] and he authored a memoir titled My Way of Creation (1977),[8] At the Time of Restless Sun (1996).