Writer, folklorist. She was born on December 28, 1936 in the village of Yuilsk (now Beryozovsky District of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug). In 1955, she graduated from the Khanty-Mansiysk Pedagogical College, and in 1971 she graduated from the Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute named after A. I. Herzen. In 1956-1965 – a primary school teacher, head of the Boarding school; in 1968-1971 – teacher of the Khanty-Mansiysk Pedagogical College; in 1971-1974 – translator/interpreter, Deputy Editor of the Okrug newspaper "Leninskaya Pravda"; in 1974-1991 – editor of the Okrug newspaper "Lenin Pant Khuvat"; since 1991 – editor- in-chief of the United Editorial Office of the regional newspaper "Khanty Yasang and Luima Seripos". Maria Voldina is the Member of the Russian Writers' Union (1997); author of a large number of literary works based on Khanty folklore; Honored worker of culture of the Russian Federation; awarded the order of Honor (1996); Member of the Union of Journalists of Russia (1997); Honored worker of culture of the Russian Federation (1987); Winner of the International Literary Award of the M. A. Kastren society (1997); Winner of the all-Russian Literary Award by D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak (2002); Winner of the all-Russian Literary Award by L. K. Tatyanicheva (2007); Winner of the Literary Prize of the Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra (2005); Commander of the Order of Honour (1996); Medals "For the explorations of subsoil and development of oil and gas complex of Western Siberia" (1980), "Veteran of labor" (1984), "Marshal Zhukov" (1997) and the silver jubilee sign devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League; Honorary Citizen of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra (2005); Head of folk collective "Family Folklore and Ethnographic ensemble " Eshak naj" from 1986.