He was born in the village of Komarovo, Tobolsk Governorate (now part of Tyumen) into a family of government peasants and graduated from Omsk Army Commissioned Officers College, after which he was assigned to a company sent to the Far East to build new outposts.
On June 20 (July 2 Gregorian style), 1860, the military supply ship Manchzhur under the command of Captain-Lieutenant Alexey Shefner called at the Golden Horn Bay to establish an outpost called Vladivostok.
On the following day, Komarov was appointed a commanding officer of Vladivostok's garrison, but a year later was relieved from duty for theft and alcoholism (according to Major Khitrovo, who visited Vladivostok with inspections, Komarov often fraternized and drank with soldiers).
He was replaced by Yevgeny Burachok, an officer who had to disembark in Vladivostok from the clipper Razboynik for medical reasons.
A street in central Vladivostok (Komarovskaya St.) was named after Nikolay Komarov in 1860.