zaborov was born in 1935 in minsk to abram zaborov and esfir rappoport and, with his family, experienced the german invasion and occupation of minsk in world war ii. when his family returned to minsk after the war, they found the city in ruins. in 1950 he enrolled in the minsk fine arts school, leaving in 1953 for leningrad and the entrance exams at the academy of fine arts. although he failed the exam, he was accepted the following year as a first year student.