Vagatova was born
Maria Kuzminichna Voldina () on near the village of Yuilsk,
Berezovsky District,
Ostyak-Vogul National Okrug of the
Russian SFSR, then part of the Soviet Union to a family of
reindeer herders. She attended the
Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute. After graduating she worked as a teacher and in the editorial office of the newspaper
Leninskaya Pravda. Throughout her life, she published a number of poetry collections and fairy tales. Vagatova died on 15 February 2026, at the age of 90. == Political views ==