Hailing from a relatively prosperous background, she was the daughter of an apostate Russian Jewish physician and his German-Swedish wife, and had received a good education, learning Russian, German, English and French, and being well versed in Russian literature.
Hailing from a relatively prosperous background, she was the daughter of an apostate Russian Jewish physician, Alexander Dmitrievich Blank, and his German-Swedish wife, Anna Ivanovna Grosschopf. Dr. Blank had insisted on providing his children with a good education, ensuring that Maria learned Russian, German, English and French, and that she was well versed in Russian literature.