Olga Vasilyevna Kovaleva was born in 1881 in the village of Lyubovka, Atkarsky district of Saratov province, where her childhood took place.

At the age of sixteen, she left her home and went to the city. In Samara, Olga lived with distant relatives, learned to read and write, and at twenty, she enrolled in paramedic courses. At that time, she was still unaware of her true calling, although she often sang folk songs from Lyubovka. Her beautiful voice and musicality attracted the attention of those around her. Musicians noticed her and helped her enroll in a music school for singing lessons.

As a student, Olga participated in concerts organized by the Samara branch of the Russian Musical Society. After completing her music courses at the Samara RMO, she went to St. Petersburg, where she took lessons from Professor I. M. Pryanishnikov at private opera courses. Thanks to Pryanishnikov, she joined a traveling opera troupe from Rostov-on-Don, which toured the cities of the Volga region.

After one winter season in the theater, Olga Vasilyevna left the troupe but continued to perform in concerts with various partners as an "opera singer," performing arias and romances by Russian and foreign composers.

After a brief stay in Lyubovka, Olga Vasilyevna decided to include folk songs in her performances. The first song she performed was "Luchinushka," which became her musical emblem. She drew folk songs from the collections of M. A. Balakirev, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, and A. V. Lyadov.

Settling in Novorossiysk, Olga Kovaleva performed with other artists in southern Russia. In 1912-1913, she toured with her regular partner, violinist Herman Klemens, in the central Russian regions and cities of the Volga, performing in the folk peasant costume of the Ryazan province.

At the beginning of 1914, they found themselves in Moscow, which became a significant stage for Olga Vasilyevna. Her performance profile strengthened, and she became the main performer of the program, while violinist G. Klemens accompanied her.

Especially important for Olga Vasilyevna was the "Evening of Song" at the Polytechnic Museum in February 1914. She transformed from a little-known wandering singer into a famous performer of folk songs. Her repertoire became more serious and democratic, including her own recordings and ethnographic materials.

During the war years, Olga Vasilyevna participated in charity concerts, performed in hospitals and barracks, led a singing circle for blind disabled soldiers, and sang for ordinary people.

From 1917, a new stage of her career began. She actively participated in concerts for the people, performing at factories, plants, and train stations. Her popularity grew, and she performed with singer Anatoly Dolivo and a domra quartet. In 1921, they went to Sweden and Norway for concerts in aid of the starving Volga region. In 1925 and 1927, trips to Paris and Frankfurt am Main followed.

From 1924, Olga Vasilyevna performed on the radio, primarily for peasants, collaborating with well-known performers and music figures. Her contribution to the development of folk song was recognized with the title of Honored and People's Artist of the RSFSR.

In the last years of her career, she worked as a consultant for the choir of Russian songs at All-Union Radio, passing on her experience to young performers. Olga Vasilyevna Kovaleva passed away on January 2, 1962, at the age of eighty-one.