Nikolai Markov is one of the avant-garde architects of Iran in the twentieth century: He graduated first in architecture and then in persian literature from the university of St. Petersbourg. He was interested in and attracted by Iran during his studies, and soon used the occasion to come to Iran as an officer of the Russian Tzarist Army. After the October Revolution he decided to stay in Iran and chose architecture as his profession in his second homeland. His design, especially for educational centers is influenced by the Iranian Architecture of Islamic and ancient pre-islamic periods.
The Alborz Collage, is one of his first works. He then designed many other buildings: schools, public buildings, factories, urban and residential complexes, religious buildings including mosques and churches. Markov was an avant-garde in Iranian Architecture from 1920 to 1940, and during this period all the new and modern fendencies in Iran were impressed by his work.