Nikolai Lugansky studied under Sergei Dorensky at the Moscow Conservatory, graduating in 1995. He subsequently completed his assistantship-internship under Dorensky's supervision in 1997. Dorensky lists Lugansky among his students who have become laureates of international competitions.
Lugansky has expressed gratitude for Dorensky's teaching method, noting that the professor never attempted to remake his inner world or impose his own artistic image. According to Lugansky, Dorensky's primary goal was to help the student reveal their own identity rather than replicate the teacher's style.
