This essay was written in the 1970s, when there was still very little material about the life and work of Mother Maria. I had at my disposal two collections of her poems, given to me by A.V. Vedernikov (Mother Mary. Poems, poems, mysteries. Memories of the arrest and camp in Ravensbrück. - Paris, 1947; Mother Mary. Poems. - Paris, 1949). The magazines “Put” and “New City” were obtained by Fr. Alexander Men. I tried to trace the path of M. Maria through her poems and articles. I quoted a lot, perhaps to excess, because I wanted to let the reader hear M. Maria’s voice as vividly as possible.