尼古拉·特罗菲莫夫，Nikolai Trofimov was born on January 20, 1920, in Sevastopol, USSR (now Ukraine). His parents were industrial workers. Young Trofimov began acting at school from the age of 10. From 1937- 1946 he studied under Boris Zon at the Theatrical Institute in Leningrad. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War.