Yaroslav Sergeevich Nikolaev (Russian: Ярослав Серге́евич Николаев; 30 April 1899 — 1 July 1978) was a Soviet Russian painter, Honored Art worker of Russian Federation (1956), People's Artist of the Russian Federation (1975), a member of the Leningrad Union of Artists,[1] who lived and worked in Leningrad.

In 1948-1951 Nikolaev was a head of the Leningrad Union of Soviet Artists, regarded as one of representatives of the Leningrad school of painting,[2] most famous for his genre and historical painting.