In 2016, recovering from injury; Makolov joined the senior division representing Volga Federal District where they won Team gold at the 2016 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships. On May 25–29, Makolov competed at the 2016 European Junior Championships where Russia won silver in Team event, he also won silver in the all-around behind Britain's Giarnni Regini-Moran. In the apparatus finals, Makolov won gold in vault and horizontal bar, silver in floor, 7th in pommel horse, 5th in parallel bars, and 8th in rings.