Yaroslav Sergeevich Nikolaev (Russian: ??????? ?????´???? ????????; April 30, 1899, Šiauliai, Russian Empire — July 1, 1978, Leningrad, USSR) 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, 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, most famous for his genre and historical painting.