Zinin was born in Shusha where his father served as diplomatic employee.

Nicolay became orphan after cholera pandemic when his parents and sister died.

He studied at the University of Kazan where he graduated in mathematics but he started teaching chemistry in 1835.

He became Professor for Chemistry in the same year at the University of Kazan and left for the University of Saint Petersburg in 1847 where he also became a member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and first president of the Russian Physical and Chemical Society (1868–1877).

[3] In St. Petersburg, professor Zinin was a private teacher of chemistry to the young Alfred Nobel.