Maria Klenskaja

Klenskaja was born in Tartu, of Russian parentage. From 1968 until 1970, she worked in the Estonian State Youth Theatre in Tallinn as a make-up artist and in the prop department. In 1974 she graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory's Performing Arts Department. Since 1974 she had been a contracted actress at the Estonian Drama Theatre. She was also engaged as an actress at the Vanalinnastuudio for one year, beginning in 1989.

Besides theatre roles she also had a successful film career and appeared on television and in radio theatre.

Klenskaja was in a relationship with actor Aarne Üksküla for over thirty years, until his death in 2017. Klenskaja died on 6 January 2022, aged 70, following a prolonged illness.