The article is devoted to the works of forgotten writer of the 19th-20th centuries Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna Balobanova. The relevance of the study is due to the introduction into scientific circulation of peripheral facts of the history of the literary process. The question of Balobanova’s role in the study of Western European folklore and its popularization is raised. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that for the first time the question of literary heritage of Balobanova in the context of its interaction with Western European folklore is touched upon. Special attention is paid to the analysis of works in the context of Russian and Breton national consciousness. It is proved that the formation of the writer’s style, the specificity of literary processing of Breton folklore, the choice of folk motifs and subjects depend on general literary trend of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries - the desire of artists of that time to find the elusive commonality of the highest principle of human existence. The author also dwells on the issue of poetization of folklore stories and demonstrates the methods of poetization on the example of the legend “Grandmother’s House.” It is noted that E. V. Balobanova’s works organically fit into the overall flow of literature created by the authors-women of the time and aimed at promoting cultural heritage, education of the mass readers, educating younger readers - that were the main tasks that were solved by the “female” literature of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries.