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Born to a Christian family in 1903, in Kiev, in the former Russian Empire (now Ukraine), Mariia believed that she was born under a lucky star. Her father worked as an accountant and her mother was a homemaker. She had five siblings. The family spent evenings reading and listening to classical music. After graduating from Fundukleev Gymnasium, Mariia worked as a music teacher in a kindergarten. She married the son of an Orthodox Christian priest. In the late 1930s, Mariia enrolled in the Kiev Conservatorium to become a classical singer, but her training was interrupted by the war in 1941. While at the Conservatorium, she became acquainted with Mikhail Brendorf, a Jewish student who studied piano. When the war began, she helped Mikhail, who went into hiding, by providing him with shelter, food, clothing, and false papers. |
Mariia also hid her sister-in-law Izabella Mirkina, her niece Irina Egorycheva, and two acquaintances, Polina Sheveleva and her mother. After the war, Mariia worked as a professor at the Kiev Conservatorium. In 1992, she was recognized with the "Righteous Among the Nations" award by Yad Vashem. When asked about her nationality, she said, "First and foremost, I am a human being; and, secondly, I am a person who was born in Kiev." 
"When the Germans did reach Kyiv, they put posters up all over the city, on poor-quality paper, with huge letters saying in Ukrainian, “Anyone who hides Jews, Red Army soldiers, communists, or Komsomol members will be executed on the spot.” Short and sweet."
M. Egorycheva-Glagoleva
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