Russian diplomat, chamberlain of the Highest Court, State Counsellor, and ... professional sculptor.

According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Nikolai Schleifer was a well-educated man that knew several foreign languages, was fond of history, literature and artistically gifted. He was fond of painting and modelling since his youth, but, following his parents' will, he chose the diplomatic service.

Nikolai Schleifer remained in the diplomatic service until 1924. At that time, the Italian government recognised the Soviet state, and Schleifer had to surrender his post to representatives of the new Soviet diplomacy.
N. Schleifer did not return to Russia and stayed with his family in Italy. After his forced retirement, he continued his artistic activity, participated in a few exhibitions, painted and worked on private commissions.

The monument to Anton Chekhov created by N. Schleifer was the first monument to a Russian writer to be erected abroad. It was mounted in 1908 in Badenweiler, on the fourth anniversary of the writer's death. The fate of the monument (as well as the life of the author) was unusual: in 1918, three weeks before the end of World War I, the monument was melted down for the needs of the German war industry. In 1960, a monument to the Russian writer was erected there again by the Germans.

The museum Collection exposition features two bronzes by the sculptor, created under private commissions. Of particular note is the portrait of a young woman, executed by the sculptor in the Art Nouveau style. The sculptor depicted a lily – a symbol of purity and innocence – on the neckline of her dress. Of the works by Nikolai Schleifer mentioned in exhibition catalogues, the portrait of Baroness Magda Lieven (1885 – not earlier than 1929) is the most suitable in terms of age. At the time this work was exhibited at the 1904^th academic exhibition, the girl was 18 years old. Thus, it is possible that the bronze bust presented the museum Collection is a depiction of Magda Lieven.

The sculptor's works were exhibited not only in St Petersburg, but also at exhibitions in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt am Main and Rome.

On the illustration: Portrait of Magda Lieven (?). N.G. Schleifer, Woerffel bronze and lapidary art factory. 1904