Viktor Zaretskyi was a Ukrainian artist and educator, and one of the leaders of the Sixtiers movement.

He was born in 1925, in the town of Bilopillia (now in the Sumy region). Viktor spent his childhood and teenage years in the workers' settlements of Horlivka and Stalino (now Donetsk).

In 1943, Zaretskyi was drafted into the Red Army, but he did not participate in combat as he had been deaf in one ear since childhood. After being demobilized in 1945, he lived in the village of Obidimo near Tula. There, he privately studied under painter Mykola Orekhov. In 1946, he entered the Kyiv Art School, and from 1947 to 1953, he studied at the Kyiv Art Institute, where he later taught.

While studying the culture and history of the Ukrainian people, the artist sought his own style, a uniquely personal vision of creative imagery. Through new forms of expression, he aimed to uncover profound spiritual themes, drawing on the enduring artistic principles of the Modernist era.

From 1978, Zaretskyi worked in his own art studio, mentoring over 200 students. His artistic legacy comprises around 1,000 oil paintings and drawings, and extends across various forms of art, including graphics, monumental frescoes, sculptural reliefs, and mosaics. He created numerous portraits of prominent Ukrainian figures. In the early 1980s, he became fascinated by the Vienna Secession, particularly the works of Gustav Klimt.

Viktor Zaretskyi passed away in 1990 after a long illness and was buried in Kyiv. In addition to Ukraine, the artist's works are held in collections in America and Europe. In 1994, the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture established the Viktor Zaretskyi Prize to honor young artists.