She managed to enter the Moscow Region State University with the help of her father's compatriot, where she studied for two years, simultaneously visiting art and drama courses.
She graduated in 1958 and joined the State Committee for Cinematography to work as an editor (a censor) of the Moldovan film and animation industry up until 1961.
[8] She regularly teamed with the composer Gennady Gladkov, songwriter Yuri Entin and actor/singer Oleg Anofriyev who performed multiple roles in different voices.
As Yuri Entin told, he had to forge the director's signature in his absence, the record was finally released and sold 28 million copies across the country, turning into a hit.
[10] The film was still approved and released to overwhelming success, turning into a cultural phenomenon, launching careers of its creators and basically introducing the genre of musicals to the Soviet screen.
Kovalevskaya wrote in her memoirs that it had nothing to do with censorship: one of the leading animators used his influence to abort the nomination in favor of his own work.
[8] Kovalevskaya herself said that she didn't like the original screenplay and suggested to add a new character of PI, but after a while she found out that the film was already in production with Livanov as a director.