The following article describes the main stages in the development of the artist Pyotr Zakharov, who was born in Chechen village Dadi-Yurt. The research concentrates on the period when the artist lived in St. Petersburg and studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Previously, we already addressed the problem of the historiography of Zakharov's life. We analyzed the life and activities of the future artist when he resided in Moscow as well as the influence of his mentor Yermolov on the development of the artist. In this article, we describe the Academy itself and the process of admission which was difficult for P. Zakharov due to his status as an "outlander." The work also describes the studies at the Academy. The year 1835 is one the most difficult for a researcher of Zakharov's life and work, as there is little information for this year. However, after analyzing many archival records, we could reconstruct facts that helped us uncover the most important stages in the development of the artist. The article shows that the most important stages in the development of Zakharov as an artist are the August of 1835 (silver medal award for the expression in paintings) and the March of 1836 (the award of the independent artist diploma). Zakharov not just obtained the title of an artist but the legal recognition of his independence as getting the independent artist diploma meant freedom from military service, lack of corporal punishments, and the autonomy in choosing the sphere of activities.