In 1872, Mariya Ivanova Rajevska received the title of Honorary Member of the Academy for the innovative methods she applied in her private studio, which won her pupils prizes at exhibitions.

[5] The school she founded was in operation for twenty-seven years and taught approximately 900 students, including Serhii Vasylkivsky, Alexei Beketov and Konstantin Pervukhin.

[4] Then, in 1912, it became the "Kharkov Art College"; a satellite school of the Imperial Academy, under the direction of Alexander Lubimov.

In addition to her painting and teaching, she was the author of numerous articles and pamphlets on art instruction,[1] as well as a textbook, "The ABCs of Drawing for the Family and the School" (1879).

Her son, Alexander Sergeyevich [ru], was a technical engineer who helped design several familiar types of Russian locomotives.