Faces of birds and animals are characteristic for the creativity of the Russian sculptor Ivan Semenovich Efimov (1878-1959). As for him, the creation of animalistic illustrations is not only sketches from nature, but also an expression of behavioral and emotional states close to human ones. Due to the fact that I.S. Efimov made many sketches for the zoos of Europe, his skill improved. This was demonstrated by his sketches, design and decorative items, in which the influence of folk Russian sculptural creativity was felt in various materials. Although the emotional states of Efimov’s works were different from those found in the creativity of the animal sculptors Naum Epelbaum and Nikolai Gabzulin, the method of working with models from nature was introduced with success in Moldovan animalistic sculpture of small forms.