The figure is legendary. Designer, illustrator, calligrapher and, most importantly, a born typographer, from 1941 until the end of his life he served as the chief artist of Goslitizdat.

In 1916 he graduated from the architectural department of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He worked in the workshops of A. Shchusev and F. Gornostaev. Even in his student years, he joined the work for publishing houses and did not give up this occupation, even while serving in the Red Army during the civil war. The transition from architecture to typography is more than natural. In addition to Ilyin, it was made by El Lissitzky, MarkKirnarsky, Mikhail Anikst, or, for example, the Dutchman Piet Zwart, who invented the professional title "typographer" (typographer + architect) for himself.

N.V. Ilyin carried out the design of the publications "Young Guard". Also, his works include covers, certificates, invitation cards, less often - title pages; ordinary stripes were usually solved in a neutral-traditional style. The covers are impeccable in color, often more complex than the red-and-black gamut of the revolution. Ilyin confidently relied on the set, becoming the inspirer of the boom in domestic display. His type-setting constructions are of the highest degree of complexity and jewelry precision. Carefulness in the rank of artistic quality.