Iya Popova was born in Alma-Ata (Almaty), Kazakhstan, in 1924. She studied architecture at Moscow Institute of Architecture, returning to Alma-Ata upon graduating in 1950. Until 1966, she worked at Kazgorstroyproekt. In 1966, she moved to Minsk, where she worked at Minskpraekt, where she rose to head of projects, until her retirement in 1980. In 1978, Popova (as a part of the team) was awarded the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

Among Popova’s designs are 9-storey residential buildings series M-464 and buildings series M-111-90, and section blocks for the series (the buildings were constructed in Serabranka microdistrict and other areas in Minsk); residential buildings for Rakau highway microdistrict.

Another project, 9-, 12- (later also 14-, and 16-storey) buildings for microregion East-1, designed between 1968 and 1978, brought its team, including Popova, the prestigious Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.