▁friend ▁Bab o ▁D ad iani , ▁Mary ' s ▁room ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁flowers ▁from ▁known ▁and ▁unknown ▁adm ir ers . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁closed - door ▁imm igration ▁policy , ▁Mary , ▁just ▁like ▁other ▁é migr és ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁Republic , ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Bat umi , ▁passing ▁away ▁in ▁France ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 7 . ▁She ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁were ▁buried ▁at ▁Sainte - G ene vi ève - des - Bo is ▁Russian ▁C emetery . ▁Mary ▁was ▁painted ▁by ▁Sav ely ▁Sor in ; ▁her ▁husband ▁by ▁Tam ara ▁de ▁L emp ick a , ▁a ▁popular ▁Polish ▁painter . ▁ ▁Mary ▁and ▁Gal akt ion ▁ ▁A ▁famous ▁Georg ian ▁poet ▁Gal akt ion ▁Tab id ze ▁is ▁sometimes ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Mary . ▁The ▁word ▁of ▁Tab id ze ' s ▁alleg ed ▁rom antic ▁feelings ▁for ▁the ▁prin cess ▁spread ▁throughout ▁Georgia ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁his ▁poem ▁titled ▁" M ary ," ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁poet ▁bitter ly ▁described ▁the ▁wed ding ▁ceremony ▁of ▁a ▁certain ▁Mary , ▁without ▁specifying ▁whether ▁he ▁was ▁referring ▁to ▁Princess ▁Er ist avi . ▁Princess ▁Mary ▁herself ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁the ▁rum ors , ▁stress ing ▁that ▁the ▁poem ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁in ▁a ▁Georg ian ▁journal ▁Theater ▁and ▁Life , ▁while ▁her ▁wed ding ▁to ▁Prince ▁George ▁Er ist avi ▁did ▁not