Since the early eighteenth century, following Peter the Great s policy of forced westernization, translation in Russia has been a very visible and much-discussed practice. Generally perceived as an important service to the state and the nation, translation was also viewed as a high art, leading many Russian poets and writers to engage in literary translation in a serious and sustained manner. As a result, translations were generally regarded as an integral part of an author s oeuvre and of Russian literature as a whole.

This volume brings together Russian writings on translation from...