At Ryleev's recommendation, Nikitenko settled in the household of , a future Decembrist, who put him in charge of educating his younger brother. In 1825, Nikitenko was matriculated in The Imperial Saint-Petersburg University. He narrowly escaped prosecution for associating with the Decembrists, but was able to finish the course and graduate with a degree of Candidate from the Department of History and Philosophy. Nikitenko then was offered a course at the at Dorpat University, but he declined, unwilling to commit to the required subsequent 14-year professorial contract with the university.