Nikolay Pogrebov, was a Russian and Soviet hydrogeologist and an engineering geologist. In 1884–1887, he studied in and was graduated from the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute. In 1897–1919 he worked as the librarian and archivist of the Saint Petersburg Geology Committee. He was a professor at Leningrad Mining Institute from 1931 to 1936.

Saint Petersburg Mining University, is Russia's oldest technical university and one of the oldest technical colleges in Europe. It was founded on October 21, 1773, by Empress Catherine the Great, who realised an idea proposed by Peter the Great and Mikhail Lomonosov for training engineers for the mining and metals industries. Having a strong engineering profession was seen by many Russian rulers as a vital means of maintaining Russia's status as a great power. As historian Alfred J. Rieber wrote, "The marriage of technology and central state power had a natural attraction for Peter the Great and his successors, particularly Paul I, Alexander I, and Nicholas I". All three had had a military education and had seen the achievements of the engineers of revolutionary and imperial France, who had reconstructed the great highways, unified the waterways and erected buildings throughout Europe in a more lasting tribute to the French than all of Napoleon's victories.