She was 19 when the war began. She was called up from kolkhoz (collective farm) to defend Sevastopol. In 1945, Maria Sidorovna helped to transport the wounded to hospitals. Until the end of the war, she was in the 106th reserve military camp in Sevastopol, from where soldiers were sent to the front line. For a long time, Maria Sidorovna was considered MIA. Medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol " found her only in 1948.
Awards: medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol" and others
Memories of the beginning of the service: "They asked me in the regiment: "Can you ride a horse?" I answered: "Yes!". The soldiers told me to close my eyes and tied something around me, put me on a horse, without saying anything, sent me to the forest, where they were supposed to meet me. I got to the place and they started unwinding what was tied around me. Only then did I realize that it was the red banner of the regiment. So, in the regiment they called me by the proud nickname of "cavalryman"