Nesterov was one of Empress Alexandra's favorite painters, his picture of the Annuciation hung in the Mauve Room. He worked for Grand Duchess Elizabeth in her Martha and Mary convent in Moscow. Here's a bio.
Nick,was one of the stars of "Broadway Melody of 1936" - a TCM classic. His co-stars were Robert Stack, Buddy Epsen and Eleanor Powell. Why did his career go down the tubes?