尼科莱·西蒙诺夫，Nikolai Konstantionovich Simonov was born on December 4, 1901, in Samara, Russian Empire. His father, named Konstantin Simonov, was a manager of a local food industry. Young Simonov read voraciously and dreamed about acting in theatre. From 1917-1919 he studied art at Samara School of Art and Design.