Nikolai Kalmykoff's life in Turkey can be divided into two phases. Before obtaining Turkish citizenship, he played an active part in the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople and at the same time worked as a scene designer at the Theatre des Petits Champs. After accepting Turkish citizenship, he assumed the name Naci Kalmukoğlu and worked in Istanbul (and other cities) as a painter in various forms of this profession until his death.

The first stage was naturally preceded by life in the Russian Empire, or to be precise in Kharkiv, where Kalmykoff received his art education and, like Vladimir Bobritsky, associated with the Kharkiv cubo-futurists, Union of Seven. Due to the revolution and the civil war, Kalmykoff was forced to leave his hometown and move to Istanbul. However, this escape in no way affected his inspiration and performance. Being a member of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople and taking part in its exhibitions (including Exhibition of Russian émigré artists at Taksim Military Barracks), he achieved very high recognition, first as a landscape painter (1921–1922), and then as a portrait painter (1923). Moreover, it is known that he was the “right hand” of the chairman of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople, Wladimir Ivanoff, and that he was often in charge of the decorative part when organising exhibitions. Judging by the newspaper reports of 1923, he was engaged in creating stage costumes at the Theatre des Petits Champs. Later he began to paint murals in cinemas and residential buildings in Istanbul (the latter still can be seen in some places). In this regard, his acquaintance with Celal Esat Arseven played an important role, introducing him to the İpekçi brothers, who owned several cinemas in Istanbul. According to Marina Sığırcı, the walls and ceilings of such cinemas as Elhamra, Ipek, Lale and Yıldız were painted by Kalmykoff, but their fate is unknown. In addition, his murals can be seen at the Süreyya Opera House on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Unlike Bobritsky, with whom Kalmykoff worked both in Kharkiv and at the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople and who moved to New York, Kalmykoff decided to stay in Turkey. He became a Turkish citizen in 1936 and thereafter held at least ten solo exhibitions, most of his works from these exhibitions selling out. It is known that he also exhibited his works at the entrance to large retailers. Usually, among the customers, there were certainly a number of art connoisseur who wanted to buy the artworks. He mainly painted landscapes, still lifes, portraits, nudes and paintings on the historical events of the Ottoman Empire. In 1941, he showed 80 of his works in Ankara, "whose residents were seeing such a large-scale exhibition for the first time in their lives" (Taha Toros, “Naci Kalmukoğlu”). Four more exhibitions followed, all at the same Kutlu pastry shop. The last exhibition took place in Istanbul, Beyoğlu, at the Beller Hotel in 1949 (Dostal 2016, 43). Nikolai Kalmykoff was on friendly terms with İbrahim Çallı (Alexis Gritchenko and Jules Kanzler's friend), Feyhaman Duran and Sami Yetik (Dostal 2016, 42).

The artist died under mysterious circumstances. It is believed that he died after falling from the fifth floor of his house in the Vitalis Apartments, Bekar Street. The real reason for the fatal fall is still unknown. As an orthodox Christian, he was buried at Aya Lefter cemetery (6th part, no. 35–36) in the Kurtuluş district. After his death, nearly all unfinished works were completed by his friend Ibrahim Safi, who was also an émigré artist (Taha Toros, “Naci Kalmukoğlu”).