[4] Maria Yaroslavna was the daughter of Yaroslav Vladimirovich, the prince of Maloyaroslavets, Borovsk and Serpukhov, and a son of Vladimir the Bold.

Two years later the sons of Yury of Zvenigorod, Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, usurped the throne and she was exiled to Galich.

On 12 February 1446, Dmitry Shemyaka with Ioann of Mozhaysk and Boris of Tver attacked Moscow.

In later years, together with her mother-in-law Sophia of Lithuania, Maria played a significant role in the principality.

In order to ingratiate herself with the church, in 1450 she exempt the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius from taxes, and the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery in 1471.