Osip Zadkin (1890-1967), a French sculptor, illustrator, and poet with Russian roots, was reportedly born in Smolensk, a small Russian town. However, some biographers claim his birthplace was Vitebsk. After finishing a four-grade school in Vitebsk, where he studied alongside the future famous artist Marc Chagall, Zadkin went abroad due to family circumstances. He first studied in England and settled permanently in Paris in 1910.

Passionate about sculpture, he mingled with many representatives of the artistic bohemia and was acquainted with masters such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Amedeo Modigliani. His first exhibition took place in 1911 at the Autumn Salon, and from 1914, he began exhibiting abroad, successfully presenting his works in galleries in London and Berlin. After World War I and the publication of a monograph by the renowned critic M. Reynal about his work, Zadkin gained recognition as an expressionist sculptor. In 1921, his solo exhibitions were held in Tokyo, Grenoble, London, and Paris.

He dedicated the rest of his life to creativity, creating numerous sculptures, many of which adorned Paris. He also wrote poetry, created engravings, illustrated books, and gave lectures. During World War II, Zadkin lived in America. Art historians consider his work "Monument to the Destroyed Rotterdam," created in 1953, to be the culmination of his creativity, inspired by the ruins of the city he saw after the war.