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Book Platform
TRANSLATIONS OF FOREIGN LITERATURE
INTO UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE
research by
Kostyantyn RODYK,
president of All-Ukrainian rating “Book of the Year”,
scientific expert of Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Kyiv
2013
Contents
1. Scope, objectives, methodology ……………………… 3
2. Summary ……………………………………………………………… 6
3. Chronology and trends:
3.1. Late 1980s – 1992…………………………………....9
3.2. 1993–1994…………………………………………….....14
3.3. 1995-2001………………………………………………..21
3.4. Second wave of Russian-language translations
(1993–2000) ……………………………………………….31
3.5. 2002– 2012……………………………………………....38
3.6. Last decade: languages, topics, names ………………….42
4. Translators ……………………………………………………… 51
5. Recommendations …………………………………………………….53
6. Addendum: The most relevant translations of 2002 – 2012 according
to expert community evaluation………………………………………..54
2
1. Scopes, objectives, methodology
With regard to the task itself this research is a pilot one, as this scope of
translation activities has not been studied before. The repertoire of new Ukrainian
book industry (during the twenty years of Independence) includes only several
studies in translation theories and historical and personal essays.
The main problem of studying translations from foreign languages into
Ukrainian is the lack of full register of publications in Ukraine. The task to
compile national bibliography has been given by the government to the Book
Chamber of Ukraine. However, this task from the state is fulfilled by mere
primitive accounting of copies sent by publishers. But not all publishing houses
send their products and if they do, not every published book is sent in: according to
the evaluation of Ukrainian Association of Book Publishers and Book Sellers,
nowadays Book Chamber of Ukraine does not receive between 10 and 15 per cent
of control copies. The situation with accounting published titles in early 1990s was
even worse. Still, both then and now the Book Chamber of Ukraine does not deem
it its obligation to track down the real assortment of book market in Ukraine,
though without such activities full national bibliography is impossible even in
theory.
Therefore, due to the lack of exhaustive bibliography, only the analysis of
preliminary data is possible. Besides, the available statistics of publishing provided
by Book Chamber of Ukraine contains numerous discrepancies in numbers. For
example, in an official bibliography of publications for 2002-2012 submitted for
purposes of this research 4,607 titles are listed while the combined number of
translations in ten years (from the same Book Chamber) is equal to 6,454
publications. Where almost two thousand publications not accounted for in general
bibliography come from only full repeated accounting can show, which surpasses
the capacities and competence of this research.
Still, the statistics of Book Chamber of Ukraine also contains some
structural defects:
3
the general register includes both books and brochures on equal
statistical basis as well as mass publications and those in only 100
copies;
departmental publications, which are issued in hundreds of titles every
year, are not singled out;
a great number of publications from higher educational establishments
designed mostly for internal use is also documented on par with
market publications.
According to expert evaluation of Ukrainian Association of Book Publishers
and Book Sellers, the number of publications available on retail book market
amounts to only a third of the annual number reported by the Book Chamber. In
this situation, the percentage of translations in the general number of publications
loses a role of credible indicators.
Even the very notion of “translation” according to the understanding of
Book Chamber of Ukraine is blurred. It includes both classical translations and
linguistically adapted technical publications, e.g. bilingual dictionaries and
phrasebooks, problem books for school leavers, advice books on breeding and
keeping domestic animals, various international industrial classifications, etc. –
that is, printed publications, which do not correspond to the traditional
interpretation of the role and meaning of translations accepted all over the world,
which is “to make an irreplaceable contribution in intellectual and spiritual
progress.” 1.
Therefore, the statistics of Book Chamber of Ukraine does not provide
information on the basis of which one can construct standard analytics of
translation process. The official data require detailed checks by different
parameters and making corrections, which allow us to come closer to a more
adequate situation with publishing. That is why in this research such additional
resources were used as catalogues of publishing houses on their own website as
well as the statistics of All-Ukrainian rating “Book of the Year”. This campaign
1 Дейтус К.Сміт молодший. Посібник книговидавця. – К.: Любіть Україну, 1999. – С.136.
4
has been conducted regularly since 1999, and from the very beginning has been
oriented on expert evaluation of the fullest possible assortment of each year. “Book
of the Year” nomination lists are compiled on the basis of bibliography from
National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine (which, just as the Book Chamber,
receives obligatory copies from publishing houses) and monitoring of the
assortment in Kyiv book shops. Naturally these lists include not all publications
designed for regional markets, but among such “local” books there are no
translations as a rule. On the other hand, “Book of the Year” lists do not include
school textbooks and manuals, which are extremely rarely translated. Translations
for internal use published in a small number of copies, advice books on
housekeeping and popular astrology books, brochures for children between 8 and
20 pages are also not included in the list (all these categories are mostly translated
from Russian). Therefore, we can believe that all “meaningful” translations in
important segments (fiction, children’s literature, humanitarian sciences, and
professional literature) are represented in nomination lists of “Book of the Year”
All-Ukrainian rating.
If we take up as a workable hypothesis the evaluation of Ukrainian
Association of Book Publishers and Book Sellers that only a third of all published
titles accounted for by Book Chamber of Ukraine appear on the market, in 1990 –
2001 “Book of the Year” evaluated almost all newly published titles; in 2002 –
2008 it included a fifth, and in 2009 – 2012, a tenth of the whole market
assortment. Besides, the percentage of translations among all books appearing on
the market is comparable with the official data. A certain correlation is observed
in the number of translations into the principal languages (English, Russian,
French, German, Polish, etc.) and theme groups of translated publications.
The study of this problem is further complicated by the fact that the very
history of new publication in Ukraine (1991 – 2012) has not been written yet.
Therefore, to understand reasons and consequences of changes on translation
market, we had to restore the general course of events in Ukrainian book
5
publishing field in twenty years. This is why this research has become a sort of a
historical essay.
As for the material situation among translations, the portion of expenses for
translation and editing in the cost of publications, specifics of translators’
cooperation with publishers and the like, this information is accessible to a
researcher only out of carefully conducted and non-recorded interviews of the
participants of the process; therefore, now it is impossible to provide any tangible
confirmations for that. Using the formulation of “commercial secret”, publishers
never disclose any technical information, which is mostly open in countries where
the shadow part of economy is much smaller than in Ukraine.
A great number of modern Ukrainian publishers does not note the number of
copies in the book data. That is why even on the level of publishing statistics it is
very hard to compare quantitative impact of books by these or those authors on
readership. Besides, it is not a given that even the noted number of copies was
really sold and did not stay behind – due to marketing and management mistakes –
in stock of publishing houses (or given up for recycling when it is too expensive to
pay rent for the warehouse). As for sales, Ukraine still does not have either a
system of accounting book sales such as BookScan or accounting of each single
copy. Therefore, we can imagine the number of books reaching the end use only in
a very approximate way. In its turn, it makes it impossible to study translation
market further and deeper, to find out the real impact of specific publications on
the development of critical thought (intellectual, aesthetical, social and political)
and the formation of popular mentality in the country.
2. Summary
The main problem of publishing translations from foreign languages into
Ukrainian is the critical over-saturation of Ukrainian book market with Russian
products. Russian Federation has much more publishing houses specializing in
translations; they are more stable economically than the Ukrainian ones and
therefore can afford buying licenses for popular foreign new publications in the
6
amounts financially inaccessible for Ukrainian publishing houses. According to the
expert evaluation of Ukrainian Association of Book Publishers and Book Sellers,
the books published in Ukraine amounted to about 5 per cent from the assortment
on the market in early 1990s and now amount to 25 per cent. Sociological surveys
testify to the fact that Ukrainian consumers mostly choose translations from
Russian publishers (i.e., into Russian language).
Therefore, excessive export of Russian book products in Ukraine is mostly
noticeable for translated publications. It creates additional pressure on Ukrainian
translated publications, because in most cases Russian-made translations appear on
Ukrainian market earlier than the same translated literature in Ukrainian languages.
Only several economically successful Ukrainian publishing houses are able to
oppose and attract demand; they can issue popular foreign new titles in Ukrainian
translations earlier than these books are published in Russia. These publishing
houses include “Family Leisure Club” (Kharkiv), “Tempora” (Kyiv), and “A-BA-
BA-HA-LA-MA-HA” (Kyiv). A “second wave” tactics is also used when the
works by a certain author are translated into Ukrainian in several years after their
first appearance in Russian translations; in this way, secondary demand is
stimulated (this is how “Folio”, a publishing house from Kharkiv, brought to the
market the works by H. Murakami, M. Houellebecq, U. Eco, A. Perez-Reverte, and
others).
* * *
If we review only significant translations into Ukrainian (fiction, children’s
literature, humanitarian sciences), not taking into statistical account “cheat notes”
for school and university students, calendars for kitchen gardeners, interpretation
of dreams, horoscopes, etc. (mostly translated from Russian), then on the basis of
studying all available information we can come to a conclusion that in 20 years at
the Ukrainian market approximately the following number of titles appeared (the
second row contains quantitative barriers taken in a respective year):
7
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
50 30 40 40 40 40 50 60 80 90 150 200 200 200 200 200 200 250 250 300 300
Small numbers of translations published in 1993 – 1997 are explained by a
period of search by Renaissance international fund and other foreign institutions
working on grants for an optimal model to support national book publishing. As
soon as the noted programs intensified, it was immediately seen in the dynamics of
publishing. The programs of Renaissance fund in 1998 – 2009 supported 768
projects (for the general amount of about 4,461,000 USD) from almost 100
Ukrainian publishing houses the contribution of which amounted to 50 per cent of
each project sum.2
Practically all translations into Ukrainian language from world
humanitarian sciences (philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science,
cultural studies) published until the end of 2000s appeared thanks to foreign grants.
Now the “non-grant” portion of humanitarian sciences translations is growing, but
very slowly (now it amounts to about 3 per cent).
Fiction had also been almost exclusively translated thanks to grants until
mid-2000s, when the portion of translations performed independently by
publishers started to grow, but even now the publication of translations with
external financial support exceeds 80 per cent of cases.
The first one to start independent publications of translated literature were
children’s publishing houses (in early 2000s). However, even today over 50 per
cent of translations for children and youth are additionally financed by foreign
grant providers.
The structure of modern Ukrainian publishing of translations by enlarged (in
comparison with classification of Book Chamber of Ukraine) theme sections looks
like this:
2 Access code: http://www.irf.ua/files/ukr/report%20-%20publishing%20initiatives%20of%20irf.pdf
8
humanitarian sciences – 35% (the portion of humanitarian sciences
has been slowly diminishing after a peak of 54% in early 2000s);
fiction – 35%;
literature for children and youth – 22%.
As for languages from which translations into Ukrainian are done most
often, the current situation is the following:
from English – 44%;
from Russian – 16%;
from French – 13%;
from German – 11%;
from Polish – 7%.
The noticeable trends are slow decrease of translations from Russian and
small increase of translations from Polish.
3. Chronology and trends:
3.1. Late 1980s – 1992
The year of proclaiming Ukrainian independence (1991) influenced the book
market of the country very little. A systemic degrading of Soviet economy of
“stagnation” lasted for the whole so-called “perestroika” period (mid to late
1980s), and powerful negative trends could not but influence the publishing field
as well. In 1990, in comparison with the previous one, the volumes of book
publishing fell by almost 17 per cent; next year, in 1991, by 19 per cent more.3
However, the decrease in the numbers of book publishing was conditioned
not only by a depressive general economic background but also by changes of
work/free time correlation among the people. On the one hand, the slogan
proclaimed in late 1980s “everything not prohibited is permitted” opened a way for
personal welfare growth due to various cooperative activities; a great portion of
citizens of the most active age group (25-45) became involved in that. It is this
3 Олександр Грищенко, Валентин Солодовник. Пророки, пірати, політики і публіка. Культурні індустрії й державна політика в сучасній Україні. – К.: К.І.С., 2003. – С.18,20.
9
group that the Soviet statistics used to consider as the most active individual
readers – now they had much less time for reading.
On the other hand, the structure of free time has changed abruptly.
Television successfully transformed politics into an action show; the era of
television series started. Live radio broadcasts from political sessions, which then
took place on a permanent basis, and a new format of talk show also took up time
traditionally belonging to reading. Everywhere, from the capital to district center,
half-legal video salons emerged, which gathered full houses. The youth started
going to the first exotic discos. The book quickly lost its monopoly right to
everyday leisure for a more or less educated population stratum.
However, not only economic but also intellectual factors impacted the
decrease of reader demand. The consumer refused to continue reading social
realism novel, historical works unified to a format of “crash course”, and pseudo-
comments on politics and philosophy – and state publishing houses of the time did
not offer anything radically different from that at the time.
Then, in late 1980s, new private publishers started fighting for the return of
the reader. Mostly they were recruited not from professional book publishers but
from two main sources: 1) politically active humanitarian intelligentsia; 2)
technical and administrative intelligentsia, which was beyond ideology.
The priority of the former was to saturate the market with historical
literature prohibited during the Soviet times, i.e. publication of pre-revolution and
diaspora works opening up the real picture of Ukrainian past distorted by Soviet
canon. The improvised book tents massively welcomed reprints printed badly on a
low-quality paper. Until 1990, the demand for this reading was mostly satisfied;
then the turn for publishing fundamental works came, which could be made
commercially profitable only by state publishing houses having access to paper at
solid state prices. In 1990s, the academic publishing house “Naukova dumka”
publishes “History of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks” in three books by D. Yavornytsky
(200,000 copies) and issues the first book out of eleven of “History of Ukraine-
10
Rus” by M. Hrushevsky (100,000). After this the age of amateur historical book
publishing actually ended.
Another type of new private publishers is business people who viewed book
publishing exclusively as a method to earn quick money. They betted on
publishing popular foreign literature in deficit in the USSR, i.e. detective stories,
science fiction, and adventure novels. Mostly classical authors were chosen for
publishing, those whose rights were either already in free access or, in the opinion
of publishers of the time, those could be neglected without any penalties.
The peak of filling Ukrainian market with writers from Europe and the US
hardly available before was in 1992. In every issue “Drug chytacha” (Kyiv), a
weekly newspaper, published bibliography lists of new titles compiled by state
library of Ukraine (now National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine). That year
about 500 titles of translated literary publications were documented, and it is about
every tenth book out of all issued, including textbooks. There was three times more
foreign prose published than works by Ukrainian writers. In no time after that the
share of actual literary translations achieved such abnormally high result.
Mostly works of authors well known in the West were published: different
publishing houses issued novels by science fiction writers Asimov, Zelazny,
Simak, Harrison, Sheckley; detective story writers Chase, McLean, Gardner;
adventure genre classic authors Dumas, Cooper, Mayne Reid, Golons, Stevenson,
Collins, Druon. Despite the expensive commercial paper, the number of copies was
rarely less than 50,000 (quick sales compensated expenses in a timely manner).
Burroughs and Haggard, practically unknown in the USSR, started from 150,000
copies, and an erotic novel “Emmanuelle” by Arsan, from 200,000.
But those were almost exclusively translations into Russian, over 90 per cent
of the whole number of titles. Only state publishing houses dared issuing foreign
literature in Ukrainian. Here are some characteristic examples:
Артур Конан Дойл. Пригоди Шерлока Холмса. – К.: Україна
(50 000 прим.);
Артур Конан Дойл. Собака Баскервілів. – К.: Дніпро (100 000);
11
Герман Гессе. Сіддхартха. – К.: Молодь, (15 000);
Роман про Трістана та Ізольду. – К.: Молодь (15 000),
Агата Крісті. Дельфійський оракул. – К.: Всесвіт (65 000);
Себастьян Жапрізо. Убивство в купе. – К.: Всесвіт (50 000);
Угорський детектив. – Ужгород: Карпати (б/т),
Жуль Верн. Таємничий острів. – К.: Веселка (100 000).
By topics, translations from foreign languages represented exclusively
belles-lettres. In philosophy, sociology and psychology during the whole year of
1992 only several titles of popular occult nature in Russian language were found,
and in Ukrainian foreign humanitarian sciences were represented only by a book
by S. Vishnudenavanda “Full Illustrated Book on Yoga” (Kyiv, “Zdorovya”
publishing house). The only noticeable exception was the translation from English
of a book by history and political science professor of York University (Toronto,
Canada) Orest Subtelny “Ukraine: History”, In 1992, Kyiv state publishing house
“Lybid” published it twice and then printed several more editions for several years
(including its translation into Russian for distribution in eastern and southern
regions of Ukraine); it was the first Ukrainian longseller.
In 1992, private publishing houses graded up to state ones by the total
number of published titles.4 The dynamics of private sector development was so
quick that it was able to slow down the rate of book publishing field decline. When
in 1990 there were 3.2 books published per capita and in 1991, 2.6, in 1992 this
number was 2.4.5 This slowdown of regress happened namely due to the boom in
translated book publishing (partially of popular history).
The extraordinary marketability of popular translated belles-lettres very
quickly restructured the whole book publishing field: on the one hand, the “cream”
of mass foreign literature finished after some time, and managers of private
publishing companies required professionals who were able to evaluate the
prospects of translation activities development and to denote strategies of market
4 О.В.Афонін, М.І.Сенченко. Українська книга в контексті світового книговидання. – К.: Книжкова палата України, 2009. – С.11.5 Костянтин Родик. Невивчені уроки Ситіна або «Гоголізація» триває. – Л.: Кальварія, 2000. – С.164.
12
saturation; on the other hand, the experts from old publishing institutions noticed
“high profitability achieving several hundred per cent”6 and risked to go beyond
minimal, but guaranteed salary in state publishing houses. “Soon, approximately in
three to five years, many professionals from former Soviet publishing houses were
invited to work to new publishing institutions and stayed there.”7 It is in these
years that current leaders among publishing houses by translated literature on the
Ukrainian market were founded: in 1990, a group of editors from Kharkiv
University publishing house registered “Oko” publishing house; in 1991 “Folio”
(Kharkiv) and “Universe” (Kyiv appeared); in 1992, “Osnovy”, “A-BA-BA-HA-
LA-MA-HA” (both in Kyiv) and “Missioner” with headquarter in Zhovkva, Lviv
region. Lviv publishing house “Svichado” resumed its work after Soviet
occupation in 1987.
3.2. 1993–1994
In 1990, Renaissance International Fund started its work in Ukraine; the
fund is part of the network of Open Society Institute established by American
philanthropist George Soros. For a certain time the fund looked for an acceptable
method of financial support of intellectual book publishing in Ukraine. First it
considered cooperation with “Dnipro” state publishing house, which was the leader
of Ukrainian book publishing in the Soviet times having annual theme plans for
two hundred titles; its specialization was translated fiction, and the best translators
were also grouped around “Dnipro”. Besides, as of 1992 the publishing house
portfolio contained several scores of manuscripts fully prepared for publishing,
which were not issued by “Dnipro” due to the lack of circulation funds.
In cooperation with Renaissance fund, “Dnipro” published three books but,
as the press of the time wrote, “due to our beggar ways of taking everything from
the good guy, they asked such enormous sum for services from ‘Renaisssance’ that
American donors estimated it would be much cheaper to have their own publishing 6 О.В.Афонін, М.І.Сенченко. Українська книга в контексті… – С.10.7 Ibid. – С.11.
13
house.”8 The decision of Renaissance fund to invest in creation of a new
publishing house, which would implement plans of the former, was accelerated by
paper crisis of early 1993: it was the first price leap (approximately twice) for
paper. Actually, this crisis took “Dnipro” out from the active players of Ukrainian
book field; after that the publishing house never even approached its results of fat
years. Besides, this paper crisis “buried” the weekly newspaper “Drug Chytacha”
which had been published without any breaks since 1960. One of cofounders,
Ukrainian State Committee (the other one was Ukrainian Book Lovers
Association) did not find the opportunity to finance further publication of the
weekly when in 1993 the newspaper increased its issues by ten times in
subscriptions (from four thousand copies the previous year to 40,000). Therefore,
the interested readers were deprived of the opportunity to track down the
publishing of new titles via bibliography lists of Parliamentary library (including
translated new titles).
That is how during the critical years of 1992-1993, thanks to the support of
Renaissance international fund, “Osnovy” publishing house was founded. For the
following ten years it became the “trend setter” at the market of foreign literature
translated into Ukrainian. Apart from grants of the fund for certain translations,
“Osnovy” achieved certain preferences in negotiations with foreign embassies that
wanted to support translations of their classical works in Ukrainian. Thanks to the
support of French Embassy in Ukraine and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
following books were published: “Nausea. The Wall. Words” by Jean Paul Sartre;
“Spectacle” by Jacque Prevert, “Selected Works” by François Mauriac; “The
Second Sex” by Simone de Beauvoir; “French Plays of the 20th Century”. Thanks
to the support of Federal Ministry of Education and Arts of the Republic of
Austria, “The Last World” by Christoph Ransmayr was published; the support of
Finnish Embassy of Ukraine helped to publish “Kalevala”, etc. Actually, “Osnovy”
initiated the method of publishing translated belles-lettres and humanitarian works,
which is a leading one until today: publishing a minimal edition of a work in 8 Кость Родик. Передбачувана аудиторія – «масовий інтелігентний читач» // Ліберальна газета, 14–20 жовтня 1993 р.
14
Ukrainian translation (now it is 1,000 to 2,000 copies) with the biggest possible
compensation for a translator (foreign donors mostly reimburse about 50 per cent
of publishing expenses).
However, in early 1990s “Osnovy” could still afford to publish titles in
15,000 copies on average (and some translations, such as those of Erasmus of
Rotterdam and François Mauriac were published in 50,000 copies). Each of the
abovementioned publications of “Osnovy” was a real event, for Ukrainian
intellectuals at least: all those were new translations of classical works previously
unknown in Ukrainian translation. Some books were not known even in Russian
translation.
Along with the active work of “Osnovy”, in 1993 other far-reaching (as we
can see today) movements at publishing market of Ukraine are observed. Three
small books are published, about a hundred pages each: Jean-Pierre Vernant
“Death in the Eyes”; Michel Foucault “Rules of Speech” and François Mauriac
“What I Believe”. They are marked as “Spirit and Letter” series of an unknown yet
publishing house, which hides behind the name “French-Ukrainian laboratory of
humanitarian research of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. Several years afterwards the
publishers became legal under the name of their first series and occupied a leading
spot in publishing translations of foreign humanitarian science works at the
Ukrainian market. But then, in 1993, the publishing house confirmed the
competitive wish of French Embassy concerning G. Soros’ initiatives at the
Ukrainian book market. The French Embassy even founded a prize in Ukraine for
translators from its language. This is how it was described in the press of the time:
“The French Embassy offered the Ministry of Culture to found a joint prize for the
best Ukrainian translation of French literature. The newly born prize was baptized
after Mykola Zerov. The judges are Minister of Culture I. Dzyuba, Ambassador of
France M.-I. Pessiq, head of Verkhovna Rada Commission L. Tanyuk, leader of
many NGOs I. Drach, one of the officials from Institute of Philosophy M.
Popovych, dean of foreign languages department O. Cherednychenko and
literature scholar Mykhaylyna Kotsyubynska (…). The first prize and a trip to
15
Paris for the celebration of this year’s laureates of Goncourt’s prize were given to
Anatol Perepadya (translations of works by Albert Camus). The best poetic
translator is Vyacheslav Tkachenko. The best translation debut prize was given to
the works of Yevheniya Kononenko. Both will obtain a one-month translation
internship in France.”9 А.Perepadya was then noted for the book published in
1991, “Selected Works” by Albert Camus (Kyiv, “Dnipro”). These and other
translations of his will then become a part of a three-book title “Selected Works in
Three Books” by Albert Camus (Kharkiv, “Folio”, 1996-1997), which was also
published thanks to the support of French Embassy in Ukraine. By the way, in
those years it was the first precedent when Ukrainian translation of a world
classical author was published earlier than the Russian one; “Folio” published it in
five books only in 1998.
The call of French Embassy to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to found a
translation Prize named after Zerov did not find any support, and it was only in
2001 that the embassy returned to this idea: within embassy program “Skovoroda”
encouraging publishing in Ukraine Grygoriy Skovoroda Prize was founded for the
best translations from French into Ukrainian. In general, thanks to the support of
French Embassy in Ukraine and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 1993
publication of nine translations from French was financed (these grants were used
by “Osnovy” and “Spirit and Letter” publishing houses).
In 1993, the one and only time in the whole history of new Ukrainian book
publishing, the number of translations from French language exceeded that from
English. It is explained by the fact that Renaissance international fund did not
immediately concentrate on financing translated literature. At first,
“Transformation of Humanitarian Education in Ukraine” program was
implemented (1993-1998) where a place was found only for one translated book:
“Modern Foreign Philosophy. Trends and directions: Reading Book” (Kyiv,
“Vakler”, 1996). Another initiative by Renaissance fund, “Publishing program”
(1994-2000) was also first of all oriented at supporting monographs of leading
9 Ліберальна газета, 23 вересня 1993 р.
16
Ukrainian scientists and only in 1998 acquired an additional vector of development
entitled “Translation project”.
To finish the review of Ukrainian translations in 1993, let us also remember
a translation from Hebrew, “Tales” by Amos Oz (Kyiv, “Vsesvit” – another book
by this author “My Michael” was also published there in 1994). Both publications
saw the light thanks to foreign sponsorship (Institute of Hebrew Literature in
Ramat Gan, Israel). The only exceptions were four books in the series “Well-
known writers” in Lviv state publishing house “Kamenyar”: “Life” and “Mont
Oriol” by Guy de Maupassant, “Life of Jesus” by François Mauriac and “Hearts of
Three” by Jack London (at least there is no information about any grants in book
data). The following year, in 1994, “Kamenyar” published bilingual editions of
Adam Mickiewicz “In a Friendly Home” and Andrzej Bursa “Selected Works”;
those were published thanks to the support of General Consulate of Polish
Republic in Lviv and according to the order of Ukrainian Ministry for
Nationalities, Migration and Cults.
This detailed bibliography was provided not for chronological statistics but
more for illustration: practically all translations published in Ukraine since 1993
have a visible sign “first publication in Ukrainian”. And all of them, practically
100 per cent appear thanks to foreign grants. At the market of translated belles-
lettres and children’s literature such situation would be the rule until early 2000s;
at the market of “fact literature” and popular humanitarian science books, until the
second half of 2000s, and at the market of philosophy translations publications
upon the order of grant providers constitute an almost permanent rule even today.
The conclusion from the situation of 1993 is the following: despite the start
of activities of foreign funds supporting Ukrainian book publishers in Ukraine, the
number of translations from foreign languages is so small that it does not impact in
any way the structure of reading. The press of the time published the results of the
survey of 13.5 subscribers of State Youth Library of Ukraine held in 1993 in 20
regions of Ukraine.10 It stated that the reader’s choice among youth is 85 per cent
10 Костянтин Родик. Новое поколение выбирает «pepsi»-литературу // Зеркало недели, 19 ноября 1994 г.
17
foreign literature (out of those, 19 per cent Russian literature). We can see which
literature was in demand out of the top ten of readers’ preferences:
А. та С. Голон. Усі романи про Анжеліку.
2–3. Ж.Бенцоні. «Маріанна» і «Катрін».
К.Маккалоу. «Ті, що співають у терні».
Е.Берроуз. «Тарзан».
М.Мітчелл. «Звіяні вітром».
Дж.Х.Чейз. Усі видані детективи.
А.Ріплі. «Скарлетт».
А.Кристі. Усі видані детективи.
М.Булгаков. «Майстер і Маргарита».
As we can see, this survey rating exactly reflects the repertoire of
translations of the previous 1992 both by trending titles and by translated language:
out of top ten, only two titles had been then translated into Ukrainian – several
works by Agatha Christie in various publishing houses and a novel by Margaret
Mitchell “Gone with the Wind” in two books. In 1993, Rostislav Dotsenko
obtained a Prize named after Rylsky and founded in 1972 by the Council of
Ukrainian SSR Ministers for the translation of the Mitchell’s novel.
The problem of low mass demand for topical translated novelties appearing
at the Ukrainian market since 1993 was that Ukrainian population knew practically
nothing about publications of Ukrainian translations. When mass weekly “Drug
chytacha” disappeared, a sort of informational vacuum formed around books in the
press. There were no special review publications, and other press fascinated with
chasing “hot” facts did not pay attention to books. In 1994, book hunger in the
press became so noticeable that certain publishing houses started issuing their own
newspapers independently: “Oberig” began issuing newspaper “Knyha i kultura”;
Lviv “Publishing union Prosvita” – “Knyzhkova TEKA”; book selling association
“Slovo i kommertsiya” (Lviv) –“Bestseller”; “Zodiac-ECO” publishing house
(Kyiv) – “Knyha-Tele-Video”; Lviv “Svit” – “Knyzhkovy svit”; five state
publishing houses from Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Uzhgorod and Odesa
18
started “Advertising and informational news”.11 However, all these projects were
normally marginal both by periodicity and distribution and therefore soon ceased
to exist due to unprofitability.
Acute deficit of information about novelties was also aggravated by
intensive degradation of book selling network, which started after the appearance
of Cabinet of Ministers resolution in 1992 about denationalization/privatization of
Soviet association “Ukrknyha”: in two years half of bookstores were turned by
new owners into something not associated with books.12
Therefore, book publishing crisis, which aggravated significantly in 1993,
was caused by several price leaps for paper (within two years), marked decrease of
book selling areas and informational vacuum around few novelties. The state did
not provide any economic preferences to an actually new business field. The
dynamics of the fall was really impressive:
Year Copies per capita Dynamics
(before the previous year)
1990 3.2 –17%
1991 2.6 –18.75%
1992 2.4 –7.69%
1993 1.7 –29.16%
1994 1.01 –40.59%
1995 1.33 –31.68%
1996 1.01 –24.06%
1997 1,1 +8.91%
1998 0.88 –20%
1999 0.36 –59.09%
If we take into account the fact that “official statistics of book publishing in
those years should be perceived as indicative and rather approximate”13 and
11 Костянтин Родик. Невивчені уроки Ситіна… – С.110-115.12 О.В.Афонін, М.І.Сенченко. Українська книга в контексті… – С.12.13 Там само. – С.10.
19
extrapolate somewhat more precise data of 1992 to the next periods, we see that
not more than 30 to 40 titles of Ukrainian translations from foreign languages
(belles-lettres and humanitarian sciences) appeared every year (demand for
applied and technical literature is satisfied by respective Russian translations and
Russian import).
For example, the following 1994 only such publications are memorable:
“Osnovy” publishing house (Kyiv):
Клод Адріан Гельвецій, «Про людину, її розумові здібності та її
виховання»;
Хосе Ортега-і-Гасет, «Вибрані твори»;
Йоган Гейзінга, «Homo ludens»;
Карл Поппер, «Відкрите суспільство та його вороги» (у 2 тт.);
Макс Вебер, «Протестантська етика і дух капіталізму»;
Ісая Берлін, «Чотири есе про свободу»;
Ентоні Д.Сміт, «Національна ідентичність»;
Вольфганг Краус, «Нігілізм сьогодні, або терплячість світової
історії»;
Іван Лисяк-Рудницький, «Історичні есе» (переклад з англійської у
2 тт.).
“Spirit and Letter” publishing house (Kyiv):
Андре Глюксман, «Одинадцята заповідь»;
Жак Дерріда, «Позиції»;
Анрі Берґсон, «Сміх».
“Folio” publishing house (Kharkiv):
Рене Шар, «Слово-архіпелаг».
“Svichado” publishing house (Lviv):
К.С.Люїс, «Листи крутеня».
“Abrys” publishing house (Kyiv):
Карл Поппер, «Злиденність історіоцизму».
20
3.3. 1995-2001
In 1995, Ukrainian culture and art informational and analytical agency
(MIAU-cult), in cooperation with the Department of control copy in the Minister
of Press and Information initiated weekly reviews of novelties in several popular
newspapers (Kyiv – “Vechirny Kyiv”, “Kultura i zhyttya”, “Chas-Time”,
“Vseukrainskie vedomosti”; Lviv – “Post-Postup”, “Ratusha”, etc.). Those micro-
reviews recall practically all translations published during four years. It is worth
remembering those, which are a real cultural transfer for the sake of intellectual
development of society and its civil institutions:
“Osnovy” publishing house (Kyiv):
Платон, «Діалоги»;
Сенека, «Моральні листи до Луцілія»;
Фернан Бродель, «Матеріальна цивілізація, економіка і
капіталізм» (у 3 тт.);
Арнольд Дж.Тойнбі, «Дослідження історії» (у 2 тт.);
Людвіґ Вітґенштайн, «Tractatus logico-philosophicus»;
Жан Бодуен, «Вступ до політології»;
Жан-Батіст Дюрозель, «Історія дипломатії від 1919 року до
наших днів»;
Святий Августин, «Сповідь»;
Домінік Ру, Даніель Сульє, «Управління»;
Клод Леві-Строс, «Структурна антропологія»;
Ніколо Мак’явелі, «Флорентійські хроніки. Державець»;
Дж.Е.Стіґліц, «Економіка державного сектора»;
Мішель Фуко, «Наглядати і карати»;
Роман Шпорлюк, «Комунізм і націоналізм» (переклад з
англійської);
Зіґмунт Фройд, «Вступ до психоаналізу»;
21
Ціцерон, «Про державу. Про закони. Про природу богів»;
Фердінан де Сосюр, «Курс загальної лінгвістики», «Сучасна
політична філософія: Антологія».
“Spirit and Letter” publishing house (Kyiv):
Поль Рікер, «Навколо політики»;
Сімона Вейль, «Укорінення. Лист до клірика».
“Kamenyar” publishing house (Lviv):
Олександр Дюма, «Три мушкетери»;
«Антологія сучасної польської поезії»;
Віслава Шимборська, «Під однією зіркою»;
Тадеуш Ружевич, «Вибрані праці»;
Лелек Енгелькінг, «Від цього не вмирають».
“Folio” publishing house (Kharkiv):
Борис Віан, «Вибрані твори»;
Альбер Камю, «Вибрані твори» (у 3 тт.).
“Prosvita” publishing union (Lviv):
Бруно Шульц, «Цинамонові крамниці; Санаторій Під
Клепсидрою»;
Ґеорґ Тракль, «Твори».
“Abrys” publishing house (Kyiv):
Томас Гоббс, «Бегемот».
“Smoloskyp” publishing house (Kyiv):
«Консерватизм. Антологія»;
Йозеф Рот, «Білі міста».
“Universe” publishing house (Kyiv):
Марсель Пруст, «У пошуках утраченого часу» (у 7 тт.).
“Litopys” publishing house (Lviv):
«Слово Знак Дискурс: Антологія світової літературно-критичної
думка ХХ ст.»;
Юстейн Ґордер, «Світ Софії» .
22
“Manuscript” publishing house (Lviv):
Астрід Ліндґрен, «Пепсі Довгапанчоха».
“Dovira” publishing house (Kyiv):
«Над озерами білі вітрила. Збірка фризької поезії».
In spring 1995, MIAU-cult agency initiates regular (monthly) surveys of
Kyiv book shops directors and book tents owners to define the best sold titles
among the products of Ukrainian publishers. As mass Ukrainian literature had not
yet appeared at the time, the first publication of the rating contained a hit parade of
intellectual literature. Seven out of ten titles are translations14. In the end of the
same year, monthly hit parade of novelties was transferred to the newly founded
newspaper “Zerkalo nedeli” (at the time Oleksiy Kononenko was responsible for
culture department; now he is director of publishing department in the State
Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting in Ukraine). The frist rating was
compiled on the basis of surveys among publishers and visitors of the 2nd Forum of
Publishers in Lviv15 and consisted of two “top tens” – Ukrainian- and Russian-
language products from Ukrainian publishers. A fourth of positions was translated
literature.
In three years MIAU-cult agency transformed into a civil organization “Elit-
Profi center of rating surveys” (with a status of informational agency) and initiated
“Book of the Year” All-Ukrainian rating. The first campaign was held in 1999,
when book market suffered the biggest losses (–59%) due to the “drop” of the
dollar, which happened a year before and reached its lowest falling point. The basis
for compiling nomination lists was the bibliography of National Parliamentary
Library corrected by the assortment of book shops and publishers’ proposals.
Rating experts (professional critics, historians, culture scholars, librarians, book
sellers) entered 235 publications into the lists, which amounted to a bit less than a
third of all novelties published in 1999. If we take into account the fact that
brochures, school textbooks and purely specialized publications (such as various
international classifications or legal comments) and advice books on housekeeping 14 Сергій Грабар. У пошуках втраченої статистики // Час–Time, 2 березня 1995 р.15 Константин Родик. Хит-парад как прививка от «экспансии» // Зеркало недели, 9 декабря 1995 г.
23
and household needs, the general picture of published translations was rather
representative.
Translations from foreign languages amounted to 28.9 per cent of books in
the lists; out of those over a third was from Russian. Ukrainian-language
translations were 40 per cent belles-lettres; almost all of those were classical
works. Modern literature was represented only by Peter Handke “The Left-Handed
Woman” (Kyiv, “Universe”) and Svetlana Aleksiyevich “Chernobyl: The
Chronicles of the Future” (Kyiv, “Fact”). Translations of humanitarian sciences
amounted to 35 per cent, and translations of specialized literature, 25 per cent.
Grand-Prix of the first All-Ukrainian rating “Book of the Year 1999” was
given to a translated publication: Universal Dictionary and Encyclopedia published
in Kyiv by “Iryna”. It is a Swedish publishing project EUROPEDIA with relevant
Ukrainian information added (the head of the project was Oleksandra Koval,
president of Lviv Forum of Publishers). – Олександра Коваль, президент
Форуму видавців у Львові). Top translations in “Book of the Year 1999” are the
following:
1. УСЕ: Універсальний Словник-Енциклопедія
К.: Ірина
2.Марсель ПРУСТ У пошуках утраченого часу. Твори в
семи томах. Том 3. Германтська сторона
К.: Юніверс
3. Публій ОВІДІЙ НАЗОН
Любовні елегії. Мистецтво кохання. Скорботні елегії
К.: Основи
4. Сергій АВЕРИНЦЕВ Софія-Логос. Словник К.: Дух і Літера
5. Джордж СОРОС Криза глобального капіталізму: Відкрите суспільство під загрозою
К.: Основи
6. Франц КАФКА Процес К.: Юніверс7. Генрі ЛОНГФЕЛЛО Пісня про Гаявату К.: Веселка
8. Гленн А.ВЕЛШ, Деніел Г.ШОРТ
Основи фінансового бізнесу К.: Основи
9. Вітольд ГОМБРОВИЧ
Щоденник. У 3 тт. К.: Основи
10. Єжи ГРОТОВСЬКИЙ Театр. Ритуал. Перформер Л.: Літопис
11. Мішель ФУКО Історія сексуальності. У 3-тх тт. Т.2. Інструмент насолоди
Х.: Око
12. Патріція ГЕРЛІГІ Одеса. Історія міста 1794-1914 К.: Критика13. Девід Г.ЛОУРЕНС Коханець леді Чатерлей. Сер. К.: Основи
24
Зарубіжна класика14. Гері СМОЛІ Пізнай свою дружину Л.: Свічадо
Apart from those noted, in 1999 the following world classical authors of
fiction and humanitarian sciences are published in Ukrainian translations for the
first time:
Томас Роберт Малтус, «Дослідження закону народонаселення»
(К.: Основи);
Еміль Дюркгайм, «Самогубство. Соціологічне дослідження» (К.:
Основи);
Макс Вебер, «Соціологія. Загальноісторичні аналізи. Політика»
(К.: Основи);
Алексіс де Токвіль, «Про демократію в Америці» (К.: Всесвіт);
Джозеф Кемпбел, «Герой із тисячею облич» (К.: Альтернативи);
Дені де Ружмон, «Європа у грі. Шанс Європи.
Відкритий лист до європейців» (Л.: Літопис);
Еманюель Левінас, «Між нами. Дослідження думки-про-іншого»
(К.: Дух і Літера);
Христос Яннарос, «Варіації на тему Пісні пісень» (К.: Дух і
Літера);
Габріель Гарсіа Маркес, «Кохання в час холери» (Л.: Класика);
Томас Бернард, «Старі майстри. Комедія; Елізабет ІІ. Катма
комедії» (Івано-Франківськ: Лілея-НВ).
Despite the general drop of book publishing in 1999, simultaneous increase
of Ukrainian-language translations by about one and a half times is documented in
comparison with the previous year. It is explained by more activities of
Renaissance international fund, which participated in CEU Translation Project
network program in 1998 (Center of publishing development IBC-Budapest) and
initiated “Translation project”. In 1999 the fund supported publication of 73 books
with basic works of foreign authors in different humanitarian sciences (out of those
12 were published in 1999). Over 90 per cent of all translations into Ukrainian
25
were published thanks to the support of foreign grant institutions. Translations
from English dominate; they are followed by those from French and German.
Grand-Prix of the next, 2nd All-Ukrainian rating “Book of the Year 2000”
was also given to a translated publication: Hans Christian Andersen “The Snow
Queen” (Kyiv, A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA). The top expert preferences are the
following:
1. Ганс Християн АНДЕРСЕН
Снігова королева К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА
2. Норман ДЕЙВІС Європа. Історія К.: Основи3. Леопольд фон Захер
МАЗОХВибрані твори Л.: Літопис
4. Збіґнєв БЖЕЗІНСЬКИЙ
Велика шахівниця Івано-Франківськ: Лілея НВ
5. Марсель ПРУСТ У пошуках утраченого часу. Т.4. Содом і Гоморра
К.: Юніверс
6. Франц КАФКА Щоденники 1910-1923 рр. К.: «Всесвіт»7. ПЛАТОН Держава К.: Основи8. Вітольд ГОМБРОВИЧ Щоденник. У 3-х томах. т.3.
1961-1969К.: Основи
9. АРІСТОТЕЛЬ Політика К.: Основи10. Ясунарі КАВАБАТА Країна снігу. Сер.
Зарубіжна класикаК.: Основи
11. Григорій КОЧУР Третє відлуння. Поетичні переклади
К.: Рада
12. Макс ФРІШ Homo Фабер. Сер. Зарубіжна класика
К.: Основи
13. Кнут ГАМСУН Вибрані твори Л.: Літопис14. Тома АКВІНСЬКИЙ Коментарі до Арістотелевої
«Політики»К.: Основи
Among names well-known in open societies Ukraine first published books
of the following authors in Ukrainian language:
Іммануїл Кант, «Критика чистого розуму» (К.: Юніверс);
Ганс-Ґеорґ Ґадамер, «Істина і метод» (К.: Юніверс);
Анджей Валіцький, «Марксизм і стрибок у царство свободи:
Історія комуністичної утопії» (К.: Всесвіт);
Реймон Арон, «Мир і війна між націями» (К.: Юніверс);
Ноам Хомський, «Роздуми про мову» (Л.: Ініціатива);
Славой Жижек, «Метастази насолоди» (К.: Альтернативи);
26
Луї-Фердинанд Селін, «Подорож на край ночі» (К.: Юніверс; Х.:
Фоліо);
Вільям Ґолдінг, «Володар мух» (К.: Основи).
Acute debate in the press was provoked by translation of a book by Harvard
professor Hryhoriy Hrabovych “Shevchenko We Do Not Know” (Kyiv,
“Krytyka”) from the English language.
That year the nomination lists of the rating included three times more
publications (about 700) than the previous year, which enables us to define a share
of translations in a more precise way. In general, translations constitute 32.9 per
cent, out of those 16.2 into Russian. Ukrainian-language translations are divided
into two groups: fiction – 45.1 per cent, humanitarian sciences – 45.1 per cent; the
few remaining are applied publications. Just as the previous year, over 90 per cent
of all published translations were financed by foreign grants: under Renaissance
fund program 52 books were published, under Skovoroda French program, 11
books, etc.
Two years in a row (1999 – 2000) the rating prize of “Publishing Image of
the Year” was given to the main producer of translated books, “Osnovy”
publishing house. Other confident players offering Ukrainian-language translations
were Kyiv publishing houses “Universe”, “Krytyka”, “A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-
HA” and Lviv publishing houses “Litopys” and “Klasyka” – all of them are among
the leaders of translated literature and became a part of the next “Book of the Year
2001” rating:
1. Льюїс КЕРРОЛ Аліса в Країні чудес К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА
2. Едвард КІНАН Російські історичні міфи К.: Критика3. Надія СУРОВЦОВА Листи К.: Видавництво
ім.Олени Теліги4. Алан А.МІЛН Вінні-Пух К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-
МА-ГА5. Сен-Жон ПЕРС Поетичні твори К.: Юніверс6. Анджей СТАСЮК,
Юрій АНДРУХОВИЧ Моя Європа Л.: Класика
27
7. Марсель ПРУСТ У пошуках утраченого часу. Т. 5. Полонянка; Т. 6. Альбертина зникає
К.: Юніверс
8. Мілан КУНДЕРА Смішні любові Л.: Класика9. Евдженіо БАРБА Паперове каное Л.: Літопис10. Мірча ЕЛІАДЕ Мефістофель і андрогін К.: Основи11. Д.ГЕЛРІҐЕЛ,
Дж.В.СЛОКУМ-молодший, Р. В.ВУДМЕН, Н. СЬЮ БРЕНІНҐ
Організаційна поведінка К.: Основи
12. Мераб МАМАРДАШВІЛІ
Картезіанські роздуми К.: Стилос
13. Ерік ГОБСБАУМ Вік екстремізму. Коротка історія XX віку 1914-1991
К.: Альтернативи
14. Пауло КОЕЛЬО Алхімік Л.: Класика
Several books translated for the first time did not make it to the top; still
those were able – at least in theory – to influence the intellectual landscape of
society:
Юрґен Габермас, «Філософський дискурс Модерну» (К.:
Четверта хвиля);
Елвін Тоффлер, «Третя хвиля» (К.: Всесвіт);
Бенедикт Андерсен, «Уявлені спільноти» (К.: Критика);
Едвард Саїд, «Орієнталізм» (К.: Критика);
Пауль Целан, «Антологія українського перекладу поезії»
(Чернівці: Букрек);
Роберт Музіль, «Сум’яття вихованця Терлеса» (К.: Юніверс);
Анрі Мішо, «Внутрішній простір» (К.: Юніверс).
Statistical correlations inside the segment of Ukrainian translations are
almost the same as the previous year:
54.3% – humanitarian sciences,
43.9% – fiction literature (children’s books included).
Thanks to the support of Renaissance international fund, 49 books were
published in 2001, Skovoroda French program facilitated publishing of 14 books.
Respectively, in the general volume of translated titles translations from English
and French lead the way.
28
For three years stagnation dominates at the translation market. In 1999, up to
60 Ukrainian-language translations of belles-lettres and humanitarian sciences
books appear, in 2000 and 2001, about 80. In general, the publishing picture is the
same: in 200 the index of book publication per capita returns to the crisis one of
1998 and stops:Year Copies per capita
1998 0.88
1999 0.36
2000 0.89
2001 0.9
2002 0.9
In his textbook for students of Publishing and Editing department, professor
M. Tymoshyk writes the following: “it is not the numbers that raise concern. It is
something else: consistent and growing trend towards permanent preservation of
this state.”16 When starting from January 1996 publishers in Russian Federation
obtained certain benefits (zero VAT), book publishing in that country soon turned
into a real business; the cost of mass Russian book significantly dropped in
comparison with similar Ukrainian one and it is only natural that the shelves of
Ukrainian book stores quickly filled with economically more profitable and
quickly renewable merchandise from Russia. According to expert evaluation of the
Association of Book Publishers and Book Sellers, in the end of 1990s the share of
imported Russian books in retail reached 90 per cent. No practical steps were taken
by Ukrainian government to protect local producer, which can be only rated as
criminal negligence (the head of the Association O. Afonin defines it even
stronger: “the period of conscious destruction”17). Here are some telling numbers:
in 1998 Renaissance international fund spent 1,079,971 USD for Ukrainian books
publishing, and the decree of the President of Ukraine on correcting state budget of
the same year only 1,620,900 UAH were planned for publishing. The exchange
16 Микола Тимошик. Історія видавничої справи. – К.: Наша культура і наука, 2003. – С.463.17 О.В.Афонін, М.І.Сенченко. Українська книга в контексті… – С.7.
29
rate of the time was about 5 UAH per 1 USD, i.e. it was almost five times less. But
in reality, only 18 per cent of this sum were provided. “It is scary to imagine a
book desert which would have formed had it not been for the Renaissance Fund in
Ukraine,18”. Unfortunately, the emotional evaluation of the time stayed 100 per
cent relevant until the second half of 2000s.
Therefore, in the situation when even publications financed by foreign grants
were hard to sell due to priority filling of book shops with Russian assortment it
was impossible to launch a mechanism of independent publishing of translated
Ukrainian literature (without grants). We cannot blame only Ukrainian publishers
for that. Global experience shows that publishing expenses for preparation of a
translated book are at least 50 per cent higher than those for an original title
(payment for translator and editor-reviewer as well as additional promotion) 19 –
and Ukrainian-language publishers did not have enough circulation money to
launch even cheaper projects. Therefore, not only translations into Ukrainian but
Ukrainian-language publishing as a whole looked on the verge of 2000s as
“patriotic Don Quixote escapades.”20
However, apart from those recalled (and well described in professional
literature cited in this research) reasons for stagnation of Ukrainian publishing
there was one more, which has not been accentuated yet: a vivid and powerful
second wave of Russian-language translations done by Ukrainian publishing
houses in 1993 – 2000.
3.4. Second wave of Russian-language translations (1993–2000)
The first wave of Russian-language translations in Ukraine, having attained
its peak in 1992, disappeared totally in the next few years. The publishers oriented
exclusively at quick money to sell foreign books, which had been in deficit during
the Soviet times, either stopped their activities or invited professionals to key
publishing posts; these professionals re-oriented the trends to issue the earlier
18 Костянтин Родик. Невивчені уроки Ситіна… – С.98.19 Дейтус К.Сміт молодший. Посібник книговидавця… – С.142-143.20 Іван Малкович. Патріотичне дон-кіхотство // Столичные новости, 23–29 мая 2000 г.
30
unknown texts (even by journal publications). Multivolume editions of authors
well-known in the world who had only several works translated before also
became popular among buyers.
At the time it was fashionable among readers to read mystical books; the
offer was adapted in a respective way. In late 1980s Carlos Castaneda was a reader
brand in the Soviet Union; his works were distributed as typed up samizdat. Later
Viktor Pelevin, one of the most famous modern Russian authors, claimed that
“samizdat actually meant Castaneda”.21 It was Pelevin who founded “Mif”
publishing house (Moscow) along with supporters from the Literary Institute and
legalized Castaneda for the first time in three books published in 1991. The next
translation of Castaneda’s works was published in Ukraine: in 1993, “Sofiya”
publishing house in Kyiv started printing nine books by Carlos Castaneda (initial
number of copies was 80,000). In just five years Sofiya publishing house in Kyiv,
which published esoteric and yoga literature, turned into a leader in publishing
applied esoteric works in the whole post-Soviet space (10 – 15 novelties per
month) and opened branch offices in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.22
Another remarkable translation project of 1993 was “Series 700”, which was
at first marked by two publishers, “Fita” and “Nika-Center” and then was taken by
the latter (which is still actively publishing translations, now in Ukrainian). The
first tile of “Fita”/”Nika” was a two-volume edition of selected works by Richard
Bach; next year works by Gustav Mayrink, and between 1995 and 1999 new
translations (new for Russia as well) of classical psychological prose bordering on
esoteric and mystic (this was a speciality of the series) in the collections of selected
works by the following authors:
Howard Lovecraft,
Italo Calvino
Boris Vian
Marcel Ayme
Eugene Ionescu21 Код доступу: http://pelevin.nov.ru/rass/pe-mesc/1.html 22 «Випускаем книги, которые нам интересны» // Книжное обозрение, 3 сентября 2001 г.
31
Samuel Beckett
William Holding
Frederic Tristan
Umberto Eco
Patric Sueskind –
over thirteen publications in total.
In 1994, a short but memorable book series appeared (most translations were
done into Russian for the first time) from a union of publishing houses “Novy
krug”/”Por-Royal”/”AirLand” (Kyiv), which presented the following works:
Хосе Ортега и Гассет, «Этюды об Испании»;
Сёрен Киркегор, «Наслаждение и долг»;
Карл Густав Юнг, «Воспоминания, сновидения,
размышления».
In 1995, this publishing union issues a two-volume translation of Jack
Kerouac’s works, which were at the time unknown at the Russian market as well.
In the second half of 1990s, Kyiv publishing house “Vakler” issues its own
“Library of esoteric literature” translated into Russian; it contains about two scores
of classical works of the genre. At the same time, “Vakler” supports the series
“Topical psychology”, where new translations, done predominantly in Ukraine,
present both classical and modern works from the field of Jung psychoanalysis. In
the same series, a unique project was executed – translation and publication of
works by Karl Gustav Jung in seven volumes. The third publication series,
“Constellation of Wisdom”, represented anthropology direction (Joseph Campbell,
J.G. Fraser, Bronislaw Malinowski, Michel Foucault, Aldous Huxley, etc.). The
only Ukrainian translation in the series was Roger Calliois “Man and the Sacred”
(2003) published thanks to the support of Renaissance fund.
“Oko” publishing house in Kharkiv started from works in Russian-language
translations. The first publication was Washington Irving “Life and Travels of
Christopher Columbus” (1992). Another translated project, which immediately
32
entered Moscow hit parades, was the work by Martin Luther “The Time to Break
Silence. Selected Works of 1520-1526” (1994). In 1996, “Oko” translates
fundamental German encyclopedia by Max Tilke and Wolfgang Brun “The History
of Costume” (published jointly with “EKSMO” from Moscow). For some time,
“Oko” participated in the implementation of “Translation Program” of the
Renaissance Fund as well as of French “Skovoroda”:
Мішель Фуко, «Історія сексуальності» (1997–2000),
Жак Дерріда, «Привиди Маркса» (2000),
Клодін Фабр-Васса, «Оригінальна тварина» (2001),
Жан-Клод Шмітт, «Сенс жесту на середньовічному Заході»
(2002).
At the same time, starting from 1999 “Oko” initiates packager relations
(executes single projects for a conveyor-type publishing house) with a Moscow
publishing giant “EKSMO”: Kharkiv publishers provide translations and
commentary for the series “Anthology of Wisdom”, which included several tens of
titles. Among the most interesting publications we should name the following:
Оскар Уайльд, «De profundis. Из глубин. Тюремная исповедь»
(2000);
Сафо, «Остров Лесбос» (2001);
Уильям Баталер Йейтс, «Роза алхимии»;
Уильям Блейк, «Видения Страшного суда»;
Морис Метерлінк, «Тайная жизнь термитов» (усі – 2002).
Among Russian-language translations of humanitarian sciences works there
was a remarkable but short-lived (1995-1997) project “The Heights of Mystical
Philosophy” from “UCIMM-press” company (Kyiv). However, high-profile texts
by gnostics, Plutarch (“Isis and Osiris”), Plotin, St Augustine and St Angela were
only a return of mostly pre-revolution translations into readers’ circulation.
Most multivolume editions published in the 1990s by Kharkiv publishing
house “Folio” also were not original translations:
Thomas Mayne Reid (20 volumes),
33
Jack London (17 volumes),
Herman Hesse (8 volumes),
Friedrich Duerrenmatt (5 volumes),
Albert Camus (5 volumes),
Arthur Conan Doyle (4 volumes),
Max Frisch (4 volumes),
Gunter Grass (4 volumes),
Franz Kafka (3 volumes),
Jean Paul Sartre (3 volumes),
William Faulkner (3 volumes),
J. Salinger (2 volumes),
Par Lagerkvist (2 volumes).
It also was a sort of packaging: Russian partner publishing houses provided
translations to Folio, and the latter provided commentary and high-quality
design/printwork.
A yet simpler scheme was practiced by Kyiv publishing house “Borysfen”:
they gathered all known Russian translations (often from Moscow journal “Foreign
Literature”) and issued multivolume editions (e.g., Iris Murdoch in five volumes)
or series such as “Library of a Nighttime Reader” where well-known French and
British novels of the 20th century were published.
Approximately until 1997 Kyiv and Kharkiv publishers of Russian-language
translations had operated freely at a Russian book market. Their novelties usually
made it to the bestseller list published by a weekly Moscow paper “Knizhnoe
obozrenie”. Professional journal “Knizhny business” (Moscow) compiled a rating
of publishing houses on the basis of sales statistics at a wholesale and retail
Moscow market “Olimpiysky”: “Folio” and “Sofiya” were in the top ten according
to annual results, and the top five included Kyiv publishers of computer literature
“Dialektika” (a very popular “For dummies” series of the time) and “BHV”.23
23 Костянтин Родик. Невивчені уроки Ситіна… – С.97.
34
The situation with Russian-language translations in Ukraine started radically
changing in 1996. The benefits received by Russians that year allowed local
publishers to print books at home spending less (during 1996, most Russian orders
in Ukrainian printing houses was canceled). The buying capacity of Ukrainian
citizens was on the lowest level during the whole independence period. To
maintain book price at an acceptable level, Ukrainian were forced to print such
amounts which were very hard to sell in Ukraine, and it concerned almost
exclusively translations of foreign literature into Russian. It was becoming harder
and harder to sell products in Russia with activities in Kyiv or Kharkiv. At the time
natural exchange baptized barter dominated the Ukrainian economy; it was also
used in book field: “Barter with Russian publishing houses is in many cases a
solution to the problem of sales for our publishers in conditions when full sales of
published titles in Ukraine are either impossible or unprofitable,” noted “Folio”
general director who had the biggest experience of trade operations on the territory
of Russian Federation.24
However, book exchange did not last long. The cost of Ukrainian book
increased even more in comparison with Russian one (“the cost of book produced
in Belorus is 90 kopecks, in Russia – 1.3 UAH, and in Ukraine – 2.3 UAH”25). It
was becoming less and less profitable for Russian partners to take Ukrainian books
for barter and sales. In early 2000s, book exchange dies out, and big Russian-
language translation projects of Ukrainian publishers are suspended. In late 2000s,
even “Folio” stops its operations on the Russian market. However, this publishing
house – one of the few in Ukraine knowledgeable in book strategies – in 2001
restructured its risks and initiated a series “World Literature Library”, which still
publishes (the number of titles approaches a hundred) both new and edited Soviet
Ukrainian-language translations of classical texts. Ukrainian translation heritage is
made yet once more relevant under the aegis of Literature Institute of the Academy
of Sciences of Ukraine; its scholars compile and comment the editions of this
series.24 Александр Красовицкий. Любите книгу – источник налогов // Бизнес, 21 января 1997 г.25 Вахтанг Кипиани. Если бы я был… Драчом /// Киевсике ведомости, 13 июля 2000 г.
35
In 2001, Kharkiv “Family Leisure Club” starts active translation activities
(into Russian), but it is associated with the fact that the publishing house acquires
the right to present a club sales scheme from the world book leader “Bertelsmann”
on the territory of both Ukraine and Russia.
A powerful and vivid second wave of Russian-language translations
completed in 1993-2000 by Ukrainian publishers had a general negative impact on
the development of Ukrainian-language book field. Pioneer translations of both
fiction and philosophy works created a feeling of Ukrainian language inferiority
among mass consumers; its book status was then supported only by Renaissance
international fund and French Embassy in Ukraine but not in any way by
Ukrainian government. Moreover, book exchange with Russians provided
additional pressure on retail, pushing Ukrainian books out of book stores as it was
not protected by national legislation.
However, the activities of noted publishers, which was mostly negative for
Ukrainian book market, also had positive consequences: the publication of
Russian-language translations of classical fiction (from “Nika-Center” and
“Folio”) and humanitarian sciences works (from “Sofiya” and “Vakler”) brought
design and print work standards to a high level. The books were published in
luxurious slipcovers and with internal decoration with then little known and now
leading book illustrators Vladyslav Yerko, Matviy Vaysberg, etc. It is generally
considered that the bar of book art in new Ukrainian publishing field was raised by
“A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA” publishing house, but it is true mostly for a
children’s book. As for mass literature – and it is the abovementioned publishers
who were first to recognize the reader’s fatigue from sloppily printed texts and
encouraged colleagues publishing Ukrainian books to move away from dominance
of content over form, which already had an important meaning in society then. The
analytical part of “Ukrainian Bestseller” collection (Lviv, “Kalvariya”, 2001)
predicted that “world classical texts published as gift books will be in biggest
demands… It is this, the alchemy of ideas, professionalism and ambitions, which
36
will define the ‘face’ of selected book assortment in 2002.”26 This forecast came
true, and since that time the visual and tactile quality of Ukrainian books, and first
of all translations, has been constantly growing.
3.6. 2002–2012
According to the official information from Book Chamber of Ukraine
provided for this research, in 2002 there were 292 translations into Ukrainian
published. However, it is not confirmed by their own bibliography where only 167
titles are marked as those of 2002 (also including 6 language manuals which
cannot be considered “real” translations). The last number almost coincides with
the statistics of “Book of the Year 2002” All-Ukrainian rating (top list of
translations is provided in the Addendum) where 131 books translated into
Ukrainian are included. The nomination lists of the rating do not include brochures
and purely professional publications – because, as an American book analyst
Andre Shifrin would say, we need to take into account “the books requiring at
least some strain of the brain”.27 The Book Chamber uses its outdated
methodology and counts books and brochures together, which distorts a general
picture when a twelve-page brochure and a new translation of, say, Dante
constitute equal statistical units.
Just as in previous years, over half of translations are humanitarian sciences
works. The amount of fiction translations grew a little bit, but due to closer
attention of publishers to foreign children’s literature. The year of 2002 is
memorable due to the fact that Kyiv publishing house “Universe” started
cooperation with Netherlands literary fund, having issued a novel of modern writer
Harry Mulisch “The Procedure”. After that during the next 10 years 15 translations
from Dutch were published, most of those in “Universe”.
In 2002, Renaissance international fund reported that 157 titles had been
published in the framework of “Translation Project”. The organization’s report
states that “the time frame of projects’ implementation on book publishing is
26 Український бестселер. – Л.: Кальварія, 2001. – С.4–5, 12. 27 Андре Шиффрин. Легко ли быть издателем. Как транснациональные концерны завладели книжным рынком и отучили нас читать. — Москва: Новое литературное обозрение, 2002. – С.25.
37
gradually decreasing (from three years to one or two) due to publishing houses
gaining experience in implementing academic translation projects… The sales of
60% of the whole quantity were effectuated during the first year after publishing,
and 100%, during three years… Gradual decrease of the fund’s financial share in
translation projects was also observed: from 70 to 80 per cent in the first years of
activity to 30 to 40 per cent in 2001. (average grant sum was 3,661 USD). A
portion of thus liberated funds was directed at improving the quality of
translations. Therefore, an idea emerged to fund… “Scientific Translation Lab”,
which would become an area of cooperation for translators and scholars working
on publications with the fund’s support.”28 Therefore, Renaissance fund, apart
from financial support of translations’ publishing, also started training a new
generation of Ukrainian translators. In the first project there were 29 participating
students (19 Ukrainians and 10 foreigners): “The main component of training in
the Center for Humanitarian Research (Lviv) was the individual practice of
translation skills by working on fiction and scientific translation, essays, book
reviews and scientific articles. It was a week of practical improvement and a three-
week summer session with lectures and discussions.”29
In 2003, Book Chamber of Ukraine documented 344 translations into
Ukrainian. However, the check of respective bibliography confirms statistical error
of 24 per cent – actually it has 263 publications. Again, it correlates with the
statistics of “Book of the Year 2003” rating where 219 publications are mentioned.
The proportion of belles-lettres and humanitarian sciences books stays the same,
approximately half-and-half. Interesting publication projects of that year include a
series from Kyiv publishing house “Fact” entitles “Text+Context” – literary studies
of available Ukrainian translations (added to the book) of a certain author:
“Favorite English Poems”; “Sorochynsky Fair at Nevsky avenue. Ukrainian
reception of Gogol”; “The Echoes of Solute: Knut Hamsun and the Context of
Ukrainian Modernism”. The top of the rating includes translation of “Aristos” by
Jown Fowles; it was the one Vinnitsya publishing house “Tezys” chose to start its 28 Access code: http://www.irf.ua/files/ukr/report%20-%20publishing%20initiatives%20of%20irf.pdf29 Там само.
38
work with foreign licenses (further it would concentrate exclusively on children’s
and youth literature and occupy a noticeable place among translators of foreign
books for teenagers).
In 2004–2008 the proportion of Ukrainian language translations had been
growing every year, and in five years the growth by bibliography of Book
Chamber of Ukraine amounts to 65.9 per cent; by statistics of “Book of the Year”,
21.1 per cent. This great discrepancy is explained by the fact that in these years
Ukraine started mass publishing of translations from Russian for popular advice
books (household, gardening, self-healing, games, horoscopes, etc.) – most of
these publications did not make it to nomination lists of the All-Ukrainian rating
with regard to the lack of intellectual component inherent to “real” translations.
The increase in the number of translations is conditioned by both general
(though slow) development of the book market and structural changes in the
repertoire of Ukrainian publishers. A critical mass of Ukrainian genre literature
had already been published (“Word Coronation” All-Ukrainian competition of
action novel founded in the very beginning of 2000s actually rendered a service to
that). The demand for it had been before satisfied by Russian import or translations
of foreign works. Translated belles-lettres completed their first circle according to
the theory of “emergency aid” from the president of Association of American
University Presses Deitus K. Smith Jr.: “With the help of translations it is possible
to fill temporary lack of certain books, which would then be written by local
authors.”30. At the same time, according to the same theory, the development of
national belles-lettres also stimulates new translations. The first ones to enter the
market of translations without support of foreign grants are publishers of literature
for children and youth (“A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA”, “Vydavnytstvo Staroho
leva”, “Makhaon-Ukraina”, “Teza”). In the sector of translated fiction “Folio” also
starts a program of independent translations; starting from 2006, it is joined by
“Family Leisure Club” (that year it initiated a project “World Bestsellers in
30 Дейтус К.Сміт молодший Посібник книговидавця… – С.137.
39
Ukrainian” where books by Dan Brown, Stephen King, Elizabeth Kostova,
Danielle Steel, etc.).
In the sector of humanitarian sciences, new players became very active:
“Nika-Center”, “K.I.S.”, “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (all in Kyiv), “Astrolyabiya”
(Lviv). However, the progress in this field was still determined by foreign grants.
In 2004, Goethe Institut jointly with Renaissance fund initiates a program for
translation German works (the contributions of the parties are 45,000 EUR from
each per year). British Council in Ukraine and Instytut Polski in Kyiv also become
more active.
The crisis year of 2009 caused decrease in volumes of book production as a
whole, and the number of translations (in comparison with the previous year) was
32.1 per cent smaller. However, according to the version of “Book of the Year”,
the fall of Ukrainian-language translations did not happen that year. It testifies to
the fact that, on the one hand, the translation of applied works dropped abruptly
(mostly from Russian language) and, on the other hand, foreign grant programs
continued functioning in a stable way and maintained their status of donors for
translations of world classical works in fiction and humanitarian sciences.
Ukrainian book publishing almost returned to the results of 2008 (according to
chronological bibliography of Book Chamber of Ukraine) in 2010, and the
following year it surpassed the amount of translations published before the crisis
by 27.7 per cent (according to the statistics of “Book of the Year”, by 49.7 per
cent; again, due to constant positive dynamics in the segment of belles-lettres and
humanitarian sciences). The year of 2009 is remarkable due to the entry of
“Tempora” publishing house (Kyiv) on the market, as it was independent from
foreign grants. The following year “Tempora” started publishing independent
translations of belles-lettres and essays from Scandinavian, Central European and
Balkan literatures.
In 2010–2012, publication of translations at the expense of foreign grants
statistically diminishes in the general repertoire of publishing houses (just as a
reminder, this process started in 2006) approximately by 41 per cent for fiction
40
(including children’s books) and by 12 per cent for humanitarian sciences. Still, it
is not always possible to determine full independence of publishing houses with
translations; funds for publication are often provided by Ukrainian businessmen
who, due to the law on philanthropy ill-adapted to modern conditions, prefer not to
disclose their participation in such projects. A portion of translations (starting from
2011) is done at the expense of budget program “Ukrainian Book” funds, which is
maintained by State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting. Presently
the leaders of independent translation publications in Ukraine are “Family Leisure
Club” (Kharkiv), “Folio” (Kharkiv), “Svichado” (Lviv), “Makhaon-Ukraine”
(Kyiv), “Tempora” (Kyiv), “Vydavnytstvo Staroho Leva” (Lviv), “Navchalna
knyha-Bohdan” (Ternopil), and “BAO” (Donetsk) – the latter mostly translates
applied works into Russian.
3.6. Last decade: lagnuages, topics, names
In all twenty years of Independence translation from English in the
repertoire of Ukrainian publishers have an absolute priority (which, naturally,
corresponds to the global translation practice). According to all statistical sources,
the number of translations from this language constitutes about 44 per cent of all
translated publications. The statistics of Book Chamber of Ukraine gives the
second place in the rating to Russian language, with exaggerated percentage, which
is allegedly half less than that of translations from English (a more realistic number
is about 16 per cent). Scanning respective bibliographies testifies to the fact that a
significant number of such translations is represented by texts of minimal
intellectual significance: advice books on household, gardening, cooking,
horoscopes and dream interpretation books, leisure, as well as translations for
internal use and children’s brochures of several pages. There are practically no
translations of humanitarian sciences works (which is explained by direct entry of
original Russian research works on the Ukrainian market). M. Gogol and modern
Ukrainian writers writing in Russian (M. and S. Dyachenko, A. Kurkov, Henry
Layon Oldie – pseudonym of D. Hromov and O. Ladyzhensky; A. Valentynov) are
41
in biggest demand for translation into Ukrainian. “Children’s” authors from Russia
are also often translated into Ukrainian (a half of the top list provided below):
Author Number of publications (2002 – 2012)
Translators
1. Mykola Gogol 33 V. Verkhoven, I. Senchenko, T. Mykhed. E. Solovey, M. Dobon, A. Khutoryan, V. Shklyar, M. Sadovsky, M. Rylsky, A. Kharchenko, S. Vasylchenko, M. Zerov, M. Komar
2. Korniy Chukovsky
21 H. Boyko, V. Herman, O. Yakymenko, M. Pryhara, M. Rylsky, Yu. Vesnyanko
3. Maryna and Sergiy Dyachenko
17 О.Yakymenko, Ya. Zhytin, N. Bryskina, L. Voronina, I. Andrusyak, D. Klochko, L. Lyulyk
4. Myths of Ancient Greece
16 T. Ilyk, O. Ivanchenko
5. Mykola Nosov 12 F. Makivchuk, I. Spodarenko, M. Dobon, A. Kaminchuk, A. Kachan
6. Tamara Kryukova
11 А.Zinkivska, V. Omelyanenko, V. Verkhoven, V. Boyko, A. Kaminchuk
7. Andriy Kurkov 9 H. Osadko, V. Levytska, V. Boyko, V. Herman, O. Slyvynsky
8. Oleksandr Grin 7 І.Andrushenko, О.Taranenko9. Eduard
Uspensky7 B. Boyko
10. Hanna Vladymyrska
6 L. Kozlovska, O. Heyko, I. Andrusyak, Yu. Tymoshenko, S. Andriyovych
11. Natalia Guzeyeva
6 І.Andrusyak
12. Sergiy Mykhalkov
6 B. Boyko, Ya. Skydan, V. Herman
13. Oleksandr Pushkin
6 М.Rylsky, Т.Korolyov, N. Zabila
14. Oleksiy Tolstoy 6 N. Zabila, N. Kyryan, O. Skopnenko15. Mykhaylo
Bulgakov 5 М. Bilorus, Yu.Nekrutenko
16. Arkadiy i Borys Strugatsky
5 А.Sahan
17. Oleksandr Volkov
5 Yu.Popsuyenko, F.Ksenzenko, М.Barnych
18. Kateryna Matyushkina
5 N.Ivanchuk, H.Khotkevych, Т.Schegelska, N. Tykhonovska, L. Dubas
19. Yana Dubynyanska
4 І.Kalyta, М. Oliynyk, Ya. Myshanych
20. Andriy 4 S. Yovenko, F. Makivchuk
42
Nekrasov
According to the announced quantities, “children’s” authors are the leaders:
Korniy Chukovsky (over 140,000), Mykola Nosov (over 70,000) and different
variations on Ancient Greece myths mostly told by M. Kun (over 112,000 copies).
Translated literature the authors of which are little known to the public but in
great demand among publishers of various reference and advice books is published
in a much bigger amount of copies (the main producers of such literature are
Donetsk publishing houses “BAO” and “Stalker”):
Author Number of publications (2002 – 2012)
Number of copies
Translators Original
1. Hubarev, Viktor Kimovich (reference books for school students)
15 200,000 І.Danylyuk, B.Hubarev, Z. Trofimova
Russian
2. Aksyonova, Larysa Volodymyrivna
14 54,000 Т.Ilyk; І.Dynylyuk; О.Kuzmenko; O. Rosinska; V. Ihnatova; Yu. Zhyronkina
Russian
3. Miroshnychenko, Svitlana Anatoliyivna
14 172,000 О.Dyomin, І.Danylyuk, V. Ihnatov, О.Zavyazkin, О.Rosinska, S. Klymenko
Russian
4. Zhukova, Valentyna Mykolayivna (cooking)
13 182,000 М.Bohatyrenko, Н.Klyukina, V.Kutsenko, І.Danylyuk, О.Kuzmenko, S. Klymenko
Russian
5. Kordemsky, Borys Anastasiyovych
11 No data А.Kravchuk, V.Dyachun Russian
6. Popova, Olena Anastasivna
11 180,000 І.Danylyuk, О.Rosinska, Т.Ilyk, О.Zavyazkin,
Russian
7. Korneyev, Oleksiy Volodymyrovych
10 137,000 І.Danylyuk, О.Zavyazkin, О.Kuzmenko,
Russian
8. Belyanska, Lyudmyla Borysivna
8 120,000 І.Danylyuk, Т.Ilyk Russian
9. Bilyk, Elina Valentynivna
8 102,000 V.Kutsenko, І.Danylyuk, О.Dyomin, Т.Ilyk, О.Rosinska
Russian
10. Zemtsova, Olga Mykolayivna
8 40,000 Self-translation (Makhaon, 2011) Russian
11. Komrat, Yevgeniya Pavlivna
8 107,000 І.Danylyuk, V.Ihnatov, N.Kosakovska, О.Zavyazkin, S.Kalitich, Т.Ilyk
Russian
12. Zavyazkin, Oleg Volodymyrovych
7 85,000 Т.Ilyk, N.Yakymenko, І.Danylyuk,B.Hubarev,
Russian
43
О.Zavyazkin13. Carnegie, Dale 7 23,000 L.Pidlisna English 14. Kolyada, Mykhaylo
Georgiyovych7 90,000 І.Danylyuk, М.Khlaponin,
К.Rozov, N.Kosakovska Russian
15. Lenz, Nikolaus 7 60,000 Not noted German
The third to fifth places in the general translation repertoire are occupied by
translations from French, German and Polish (approximately 13, 11 and 7 per cent
from the general number of translations; once, in 2010, the number of translations
from German surpassed that from French). All those are predominantly belles-
lettres and humanitarian sciences. If during the last ten years 389 titles were
translated from Polish (according to the data of Book Chamber of Ukraine),
translations from other languages were done in much smaller volumes: 127 titles
from Italian, 88 from Danish, 87 from Swedish, 77 from Spanish, 48 from
Japanese, 39 from Norwegian, and 37 from Czech. The number of translations
from other languages does not exceed 20 titles (14 from Georgian and 4 from
Armenian). Translations from official languages of Ukrainian national minorities
can be neglected as there are only several of those, which forces us to draw a
conclusion about insignificant development of literatures and humanitarian
sciences in these languages in Ukraine.
The noted correlation between the main languages from which Ukrainian
translations are done is also observed in the top list of most translated writers:
Author Number of publications (2002 – 2012)
Translators Original
1. Gogol, Mykola 33 V. Verkhoven, І.Senchenko, Т.Mykhed, Е.Solovey, М.Dobon, А.Khutoryan, V.Shklyar, М.Sadovsky, М.Rylsky, А.Kharchenko, S.Vasylchenko, М.Zerov, М.Komar
Russian
2. Shakespeare, William 26 Е.Scherbenko, D. Palamarchuk, Yu.Kocherzhynsky, М.Rudnytsky, L.Hrebinka, N.Torkut, І.Steshenko, H.Pylypenko, H.Kochur, D.Pavlychko
English
3. King, Stephen 22 О.Krasyuk, К.Borysenko, О.Lyubenko, І.Andrusyak
English
4. Verne, Jules 17 О.Dyomin, О.Tymanyuk, S.Sulima, French
44
D.Palamarchuk, L.Kuznetsova, Т.Voronovych, L.Kolodynska, P.Sokolovsky, V.Omelchenko, М.Shudrya
5. Dyachenko, Maryna and Sergiy
17 О.Yakymenko, Ya. Zhytin, N.Bryskina, L.Voronina, І.Andrusyak, D.Klochko, L.Lyulyk
Russian
6. London, Jack 17 V.Gladka, К.Koryakina, Yu.Lisnyak, М.Hiptenko, О.Donicheva, D.Radiyenko, P.Sokolovsky, І.Rylsky, М.Rylsky, М.Ryabov
English
7. Brown, Dan 14 V.Horbatko, А.Kamyanets English8. Twain, Mark 14 V.Mitrofanov, L.Krasavitska, С.Sulima,
М.Ryabov, S.Fesenko, І.SteshenkoEnglish
9. Wilde, Oscar 11 І.Korunets, D.Radiyenko, R.Dotsenko English10. Kafka, Franz 11 N.Snyadanko, P.Taraschuk, Ye.Popovych,
І.Koshelivets, Yu.ProkhaskoGerman
11. Scott, Walter 11 І.Davydenko, І.Yeryomina, S.Sulima, Yu.Lisnyak, H.Lozynska, А.Volkovych
English
12. Gaszek, Jaroslaw 10 S.Maslyak Czech 13. Doyle, Arthur Conan 10 М.Dmytrenko, V.Mykhalyuk,
О.Donicheva, V.PanchenkoEnglish
14. O’Henry 10 О.Fedorchenko, М.Dmytrenko, Yu.Ivanov
English
15. Austen, Jane 10 V.Horbatko, D.Radiyenko, Т. Shevchenko English16. Flaubert, Gustav 10 М.Lukash, М.Hayday, D.Palamarchuk French 17. Coelho, Paulo 9 V.Trylis, V.Shovkun Portuguese 18. Pamuk, Orhan 9 H.Roh, О.Kulchinsky, Turkish 19. Grin, Oleksandr 7 І.Andrushenko, О.Taranenko Russian20. Eco, Umberto 7 М.Prokopovych, Yu.Hryhorenko Italian 21. Murakami, Haruki 7 І.Dzyub Japanese 22. Servantes Saavedra,
Miguel de7 М.Ivanov, B.Leta, М.Lukash,
А.PerepadyaSpanish
23. Steele, Danielle 7 Ye.Kononenko, L.Dolgopolov, І.Panchenko
English
24. Byron, George Gordon
6 V.Bohuslavska; S.Holovanivsky; N.Zhluktenko; P.Hrabovsky, D.Zahula, V.Samiylenko, М.Kostomarov, Lesya Ukrainka, І.Franko
English
25. Boccaccio, Giovanni 6 H.Kochur, М.Lukash, V.Shklyar Italian 26. Dante, Alighieri 6 Ye.Drobyazko, B.Lonchyna Italian 27. Krajewski, Marek 6 B.Antonyak Polish 28. Proust, Marcel 6 А.Perepadya French 29. Beigbeder, Frederic 5 М.Ilyashenko, О.Nogina, М. Lutsyuk,
R.MarderFrench
30. Borges, Jorge Luis 5 V.Narizhna, V.Shovkun Spanish 31. Bulgakov, Mykhaylo
Opanasovych5 М. Bilorus, Yu.Nekrutenko Russian
32. Wells, Herbert George
5 М. Ivanov, О.Logvynenko English
33. Hugo, Victor 5 P.Ternyuk, A. Dmitriyev French 34. Dickens, Charles 5 R.Dotsenko, V.Chernyakhivska, English
45
О.Mokrovolsky, І.Andrusyak35. Kostova, Elizabeth 5 V.Polyakov, L.Dolgopolov English36. Mickiewich, Adam 5 М.Rylsky Polish 37. Pavic, Milorad 5 N.Chorpita, O.Ros Serbian 38. Plato 5 V.Shkoda, H.Kuts, D.Koval, U.Holovach Ancient Greek 39. Poe, Edgar Allan 5 Yu.Lisnyak, R.Dotsenko English40. Strugatsky, Arkadiy
and Borys5 А.Sahan Russian
41. Houellebecq, Michel 5 R.Marder, L.Kononovych, I.Ryabchy French 42. Abe, Kobo 4 І.Dzyub Japanese43. Akutagawa,
Ryunosuke4 V.Boyko;
І.DzyubJapanese
44. Burroughs, Edgar Rice
4 Ye.Bondarenko, О.Zavyazkin, Yu.Pokalchuk, О.Pokalchuk,
English
45. Jerome, Jerome Klapka
4 О.Yakushyk, Yu.Lisnyak, R.Dotsenko
46. Dubynyanska, Yana 4 І.Kalyta, М Oliynyk, Ya.Myshanych Russian47. Suskind, Patrick 4 І. Friedrich German 48. Kawabata, Yasunari 4 М. Fedoryshyn, І.Dzyub Japanese49. Loe, Erlend 4 V.Verkhoven, І.Sabor Norwegian
Publishers do not always indicate the number of copies, so the
reconstruction of general quantities is possible only according to expert evaluation.
The biggest publications of the last ten years are probably Stephen King (about
200,000 copies) and Dan Brown (over 160,000 copies).
Publishing preferences for translation of literature for children and youth
are the following (works of O. Pushkin and O. Tolstoy are represented by their
fairy tales):
1. Kipling, Joseph Rudyard
23 D.Radiyenko, H.Shvets, Yu.Siry, І.Yeryomina, S. Sulima, L. Solonko, Yu. Lisnyak, Ye. Bondarenko, N. Dyomova, V. Chernyshenko, V. Panchenko, O.Nehrebetsky
English
2. Chukovsky, Korniy 21 H.Boyko, V. Herman, O. Yakymenko, М.Pryhara, М.Rylsky, Yu.Vesnyanko
Russian
3. Carroll, Lewis 20 V. Korniyenko, V.Narizhna, V.Panchenko, О.Koretska, S.Sulima, H.Bushyn, P.Taraschuk
English
4. Rowling, J. К. 18 V.Morozov, S.Andrukhovych English5. Pullman, Philip 17 S.Savchenko, N.Ryabov English6. Grimm, brothers 13 R.Matiyev, Ye.Popovych, S.Sakydon,
О.KulchytskaGerman
46
7. Defoe, Daniel 13 О.Zamikhovska, О.Khatuntsev, V.Derzhavin, N.Tysovska, H.Hritchyna, N.Bordukova
English
8. Stevenson, Robert Louis 13 К.Pluhatyr, І.Toloka, С.Tuhay, Yu.Koretsky, R.Dotsenko, О.Terekh, N.Klymenko, О.Rosinska
English
9. Nosov, Mykola 12 Ф.Makivchuk, І.Spodarenko, М.Dobon, А.Kaminchuk, А.Kachan
Russian
10. Andersen, Hans Christian
11 О.Panchenko, H.Kyrpa, А.Kraft, О.Ivanenko, О.Zozulya
Danish
11. Kryukova, Tamara 11 А.Zinkivska, V.Omelyanenko, V.Verkhoven, V.Boyko, А.Kaminchuk
Russian
12. Lewis, Clive Staples 11 V.Narizhna, І.Ilyin, К.Voronkina, О.Manko English13. Rodari, Gianni 11 І.Korunets, А.Illichevsky, V.Chaykovsky Italian 14. Besson, Luc 10 О.Dumanska/Ye.Morozova Russian/French15. Baum, Lyman Frank 9 L. Solonko; М.Shavryna; S.Sulima; А.Sagan;
Yu.Lisnyak; М.PinchevskyEnglish
16. Kurkov, Andriy 9 H.Osadko, V.Levytska, V.Boyko, V.Herman, О.Slyvynsky
Russian
17. Kun, Mukola 8 О.Ivanchenko Russian18. Myths of Ancient
Greece8 Т.Ilyk Russian
19. Cooper, James Fenimore
8 L.Solonko, О.Terekh, А.Marchenko, І.Muraschyk, Ye. Kryzhevych, І.Korunets
English
20. Lindgren, Astrid 8 О.Senyuk, H.Kyrpa Swedish21. Meyer, Stephanie 8 N.Tysovska, О.Ryda, К.Pluhatyr,
О.Fedorchenko, U.HryhorashEnglish
22. Raspe, Rudolf Etic 8 All translations from Russian German 23. Hoffmann, Ernst
Theodor Amadeus7 Ye.Popovych, S.Sakydon, German
24. Maar, Paul 7 Ye.Horeva, О.Logvynenko, О.Sydor, V.Romanets
German
25. Milne, Alan Alexander 7 V.Panchenko, І.Ilyina, О.Mokrovolsky, М.Savka English
26. Swift, Jonathan 7 М.Ivanov English27. Tolkien, John Ronald
Reuel7 А.Nemirov, О.Feshovets, N.Fedorak, О.О'Lear,
К.OnyschukEnglish
28. Uspensky, Eduard 7 B.Boyko Russian29. Funke, Cornelia 7 V.Vasylyuk, О.Logvynenko, L.Ukrainsky,
S.Slipchenko, P.TaraschukGerman
30. Vladimirska, Hanna 6 L.Kozlovska, О.Heyko, І.Andrusyak, Yu.Tymoshenko, S.Andriyovych
Russian
31. Guzeeva, Natalia 6 І.Andrusyak Russian32. Mykhalkov, Sergiy 6 B.Boyko, Ya.Skydan, V.Herman Russian33. Pushkin, Oleksandr 6 М.Rylsky, Т.Korolyov, N.Zabila Russian34. Reid, Mayne 6 V.Mytrofanov, М.Dmytrenko English35. Tillmann, Christian 6 N.Snyadanko, І.Andruschenko, S.Matiyash German 36. Tolstoy, Oleksiy 6 N.Zabila, N.Kyryan, О.Skopnenko Russian
47
The basis of provide lists is the bibliography of Book Chamber of Ukraine
with titles missed out by this institution (e.g., the official statistics lacks seven out
of thirty-three publications of M.Gogol, four out of eleven publications of F.
Kafka, etc.).
It often happens that world classics are translated in Ukraine not from their
original but from Russian translation. This method is most often used by Kyiv
publishing houses “Shkola”, “National Book Project”, “Makhaon-Ukraine” and
“Family Leisure Club” in Kharkiv where such practice became popular in 2010-
2011 (publication of works by H. Wells, J. Verne, A. Conan Doyle, R.L.
Stevenson, J. Swift, R.E. Raspe, Daniel Defoe, etc.). “Krayina mriy” publishing
house (Kyiv) also practices translations from successful Western adaptations: L.
Carroll from French (2012), fairy tales by Grimm brothers from French and
English (2008; 2012).
Children’s literature translations are the most dynamic sector. In 2004, the
index of translations of such literature exceeded 15 per cent and reached its peak in
2011, i.e. 29 per cent (“Book of the Year” statistics). According to the data of
Book Chamber of Ukraine, translations comprise over a half for all children’s
books, but here brochures are also included, so translations as such for children and
youth constitute about a third of all publications.
The classifier of Book Chamber of Ukraine puts humanitarian sciences to a
theme section “Political, social and economic literature”. The section of
“Literature on linguistics” is singled out for no apparent reason as mostly
conceptual works are translated constituting a part of philosophy category in
Western classification. In part it also pertains to the section “Literature on
education and culture”. If these discrepancies are unified and internal brochures
neglected and then the classification compared with the data of “Book of the Year”
All-Ukrainian rating, the types of translations by subject will look in the following
way:
48
humanitarian sciences – 35 per cent (the share of humanitarian
sciences slowly diminishes after its peak of 54 per cent in early
2000s);
fiction – 35 per cent;
children’s literature – 22 per cent (after the climax of translations in
this group in 2011, the statistics returned to average annual index).
Such proportion can be accepted if we neglect advice books, internal
publications and brochures with little intellectual significance.
Among applied literature, only a group of religious and motivation
literature is statistically important; it allows us to compile a list of authors whose
works are translated the most:
Author Number of publications (2002–2012)
Translators Original
1. Ferrero, Bruno 20 L.Haydukivsky Italian/Polish 2. Grun, Anselm 12 О.Mandryk, І.Terzova, N. Lozynska,
О.KonkevychGerman
3. White, Ellen 9 V.Petryuk, L.Kachmar, О.Pervanchuk, А.Hrechyshkin
English
4. Augustine, Joseph
7 H. Teodorovych Polish
5. Ratzinger, Joseph (Benedict XVI)
6 N.Lozynska, К. Stasiv, О.Konkevych, О.Dvernytsky, Z.Kurdin
German/Italian
6. McDowell, Josh 5 О.Hladky English 7. Philippe,
Jacques5 Z.Kurdyn, І.Dukh French
8. Chapman, Gary 5 B.Pelenska, N.Rymska, О.Feshovets English
4. Translators
Translators are the most vulnerable link in the process of creating a
translated book. Average remuneration for translation from more or less
widespread languages (English, French, German, Polish) is between 18 and 30
UAH per 1,000 characters. Approximately the same remuneration is received by
book reviewers in Ukrainian-language press, so both participants of the process
49
have the same problem with quality: the former often produce a mere pownie, and
the latter almost never read the “reviewed” works.
This comparison is not accidental: as cultural journalism is paid for very
badly in Ukraine, nobody engages in systemic and specialized translation critique;
therefore, pressure on publishers of translated literature is practically absent, and
the criteria of publishing houses for quality of proposed translations are too low.
A bit higher remuneration is provided to translators from less widespread
languages, but for translators from Russian they are extremely small. The
publishers probably believe that any Ukrainian citizen with higher education is
able to translate from Russian.
However, remuneration for translations done within book programs of
foreign funds may reach 8 EUR per page – still, these programs are now becoming
smaller.
The interest in translation activities from the side of government is limited
by two annual prizes. In 1972, Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR founded
Maksym Rylsky Prize, the monetary equivalent of which was 1,000 Soviet roubles,
which was a pretty sum of money at the time. The prize has existed until now
(under the aegis of National Writers Union of Ukraine), and its amount has not
changed – it is the same one thousand, but in hryvnyas.
Starting from 2010, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established a new
Hryhoriy Kochur Literary Prize under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture with
somewhat narrower scope: “For significant achievements in poetry translation and
translation studies.” The prize fund is defined as “twelve minimum living wages
for active citizens at the expense of state budget funds envisaged by the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism for a respective goal.”31
One more prize – Ars translationis named after Mykola Lukash – was
founded in 1989 by Vsesvit journal for the best publications in this
journal (prize fund is 1,000 UAH).
31 Decree No. 1010 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Establishing Hrygoriy Kochur Literary Prize” of September 23, 2009.
50
When Ukrainian experts started fulfilling programs of Renaissance
international fund, they almost immediately had to face problematic quality of
translations; first of all they created a control expert group, which had to return
weak translations for further work. However, they quickly understood that the
situation could not be changed by imposing administrative barriers only. This is
how in 2002, “Scientific Translation Lab” emerged (and a year before that,
Renaissance fund had supported “Translation Workshop”, a local project in
Lviv32). From 2002 till 2009, the Lab conducted over 100 seminars (practical,
terminological and discussing completed translations). The result of the Lab
activities was the compilation of several dictionaries:
English-Ukrainian dictionary of educational policy
terminology;
English-German-French-Ukrainian dictionary of European
integration terminology;
German-Ukrainian dictionary of humanitarian sciences.
To a great extent thanks to the work of the Lab, the work on completion of
two volumes of “European Philosophy Dictionary” (Kyiv, “Spirit and Letter”)
became possible; these volumes were then highly estimated by experts of “Book of
the Year” All-Ukrainian rating (prizes in the nomination on humanitarian sciences
in 2010 and 2011). For quick information exchange, a web resource
http : // prostory . net . ua was created; in particular, it was dedicated to fiction
translation issues and financially supported by Renaissance international fund.
Starting from 2011, TRANSLIT International translation festival has been
held in the framework of Lviv Forum of Publishers; this event is supported by i3
program of Rinat Akhmetov Fund “Development of Ukraine”.
5. Recommendations
32 Access code: www.humanities.org.ua/TW/alm.htm
51
At the developed book markets, publication of translation is a self-regulated
issue, which does not require special state preferences. However, Ukrainian market
cannot be considered a developed one – it can become such only with significant
state support:
administrative limitation of excessive Russian book import by
customs duties and tariffs (as it is practiced in other fields of
economy);
providing economic impetus to book stores prioritizing national book
producers;
introducing state guarantees for book publishing loans;
real fight of law enforcement institutions with counterfeit goods;
significant increase of library financing from state budget;
supporting events to promote books and reading (including financing
of specialized press, TV and radio programs, web resources).
The implementation of such range of activities will add real features of
book business to Ukrainian book publishing and automatically improve at least the
amount of published translations.
Just as for book field as a whole, for its translation segment the quality of
statistics is very important. In this context, it is necessary to expect and require
from Book Chamber of Ukraine not passive accounting of control copies sent in
but compilation of full specialized register of books with accompanying details by
market features of each documented publication or their absence. The outdated
subject classifiers also require review and updating for harmonization with the
European standards. It is necessary to enter bibliographies in electronic form into
software suitable for further content analysis.
An efficient step towards support of translation activities as such and raising
its social status may be the introduction of best translation nomination to National
Taras Shevchenko Prize (with a radical change in the Provision on prize, i.e.
introduction of expert nominators and independence from signature of the
country’s President).
52
Addendum:
The most relevant translations of 2002-2012 according to the evaluation
of expert community
(by results of “Book of the Year” All-Ukrainian rating)
20021. Насильство. Влада. Терор; Топос поразки; Покоління і молодіжні
субкультури. — Л.: Журнал «Ї», 340+302+260 с.(о)2. Марсель ПРУСТ. У пошуках утраченого часу. Т 7. Віднайдений час. — К.:
Юніверс, 384 с.(с)3. Дж.К.РОЛІНҐ. Гаррі Поттер і філософський камінь; Гаррі Поттер і таємна
кімната; Гаррі Поттер і в’язень Азкобану. — К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 319+346 с.(п)
4. Лібералізм. Антологія. — К.: Смолоскип, 1126с.(п)5. Класики політичної думки від Платона до Макса Вебера. — К.: Тандем, 584 с.
(с)6. Джеймс ЛАЛ. Мас-медіа, комунікація, культура: глобальний підхід. — К.:
К.І.С, 264 с.(о)7. Вільям Ф.ҐАНОНҐ. Фізіологія людини. — Л.: БаК 784 с. (п)8. Стефан П.РОБІНС, Девід А.ДЕЧЕНЦО. Основи менеджменту. — К.: Основи,
671 с.(п)9. Загублена арфа. Антологія німецькомовної поезії Буковини. – Чернівці: Золоті
литаври, 543 с.(п)10. Вітольд ҐОМБРОВИЧ. Фердидурке. — К.: Основи, 326 с.(о)11. Ганс Ґеорґ ҐАДАМЕР. Вірш і розмова. Есе. — Л.: Журнал «Ї», 188 с.(о)12. Гіроакі КУРОМІЯ Свобода і терор у Донбасі. Українсько-російське
прикордоння, 1870-1990-і роки. – К.: Основи, 510 с.(о)13. Сьюзен ЗОНТАҐ. Про фотографію. — К.: Основи, 189 с.(о)14. Петер СЛОТЕРДАЙК. Критика цинічного розуму. — К.: Тандем, 544 с.(п)15. Ніколя МАЛЬБРАНШ. Про пошук істини. Т 1. — К.: Port-Royal, 404 с.(о)
20031. Казки Туманного Альбіону. — К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 24 с.(п)2. Юрій ШЕВЕЛЬОВ. Історична фонологія української мови. — Х.: Акта, 1054
с. (с)3. ΑΡΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΗΣ. Нθικα Νικομαχεια. / АРІСТОТЕЛЬ. Нікомахова етика (грецьк.
та укр. мовами). — К.: Аквілон-плюс, 780 с.(п)4. Петер ЗІЛАГІ. Остання вікножирафа. — Л.: Класика, 124 с. (п)5. Роберт КОНКВЕСТ. Роздуми над сплюндрованим сторіччям. — К.: Основи,
371 с.(о)6. Джон ФАУЛЗ. Арістос. — Вінниця: Тезис, 336 с.(п)7. Енциклопедія постмодернізму. — К.: Основи, 503 с. (с)8. Мислителі німецького романтизму. — Івано-Франківськ: Лілея-НВ, 588 с.(п)9. Норберт ЕЛІАС. Процес цивілізації. Соціогенетичні і психогенетичні
дослідження. — К.: Альтернативи, 672 с.(о)10. Дж.К. РОЛІНҐ. Гаррі Поттер і келих вогню; Гаррі Поттер і Орден Фенікса.
53
— К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 670 + 816 с.(п)11. Григорій ОСТЕР. Шкідливі поради; Задачник. — Х.: Школа, 112+128 с.(п)12. Пауло ФРАЙРЕ. Вчителі як працівники культури: листи до тих, хто
насмілився вчити. — Х.: Акта, 264 с.(о)13. Богуміл ГРАБАЛ. Вар’яти. — Л.: Класика, 183 с. (о)14. Еліас КАНЕТТІ. Засліплення. — К.: Юніверс, 512 с. (с)
20041. Омелян ПРІЦАК. Походження Русі: стародавні скандинавські саґи і Стара
Скандинавія. Т.2. — К.: Обереги, 1304 с.(п)2. Г.де БЛІЙ, Пітер МУЛЛЕР. Географія: світи, реґіони, концепти. — К.: Либідь,
740 с.(п)3. Ендрю ВІЛСОН. Українці: несподівана нація. — К.: К.І.С., 552 с.(о)4. Туве ЯНСОН. Країна мумі-тролів. — Л.: Видавництво Старого Лева, 352 с.(п)5. Історія європейської ментальности. — Л.: Літопис, 720 с.(п)6. Елвін ТОФФЛЕР. Нова парадигма влади. — Х.: Акта, 688 с.(о)7. Анна ПОЛІТКОВСЬКА. Друга чеченська. — К.: Діокор, 296 с.(п)8. Юлія КРІСТЕВА. Полілог. — К.: Юніверс, 480 с.(п)9. Жан БОДРІЯР. Символічний обмін і смерть. — Л.: Кальварія, 376 с.(п)10. Алан Александер МІЛН. Вінні-Пух і Всі-Всі-Всі. — К.: Махаон-Україна, 224 с.(п)11. Пьотр ВАНДИЧ. Ціна свободи. Історія Центрально-Східної Европи від
Середньовіччя до сьогодення. — К.: Критика, 462 с.(о)12. Антологія японської класичної поезії. Танка. Ренґа. — К.: Факт, 912 с.(п)13. Жан ЖЕНЕ. Щоденник злодія. — К.: Юніверс, 304 с.(п)14. Ольга ТОКАРЧУК. Правік та інші часи. — Л.: Кальварія, 224 с.(п)
20051. Франсуа РАБЛЕ. Ґарґантюа та Пантаґрюель. У 2 т. — Л.: Кальварія, 584+416 с.
(ф)2. Ґюнтер ҐРАС. Бляшаний барабан. Сер. «Лауреати Нобелівської премії». — К.:
Юніверс, 784 с.(с)3. Короткий оксфордський політичний словник. — К.: Основи, 789 с.(п)4. Ханна АРЕНДТ. Джерела тоталітаризму - 2-е вид. — К.: Дух і Літера, 584 с.(п)5. Френк НЕТТЕР. Атлас анатомії людини. — Л.: Наутілус, 592 с.(п)6. Джонатан СВІФТ. Мандри Ґуллівера.«Помаранчева серія». — К.: А-БА-БА-
ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 384 с.(п)7. Дж.К.РОЛІНҐ. Гаррі Поттер і напівкровний принц. — К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-
МА-ГА, 576 с.(п)8. Мішель УЕЛЬБЕК. Елементарні частинки. Сер. «Література». — Х.: Фоліо,
287 с.(п)9. Туве ЯНСОН. Країна мумі-тролів. Книга 2; 3. — Л.: Видавництво Старого
Лева, 432; 520 с.(п)10. Льюїс КЕРРОЛ. Аліса в країні див. Аліса в Задзеркалі. «Помаранчева серія». —
К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, — 264 с.(п)11. Джонатан ДОЛІМОР. Сексуальне дисидентство. — К.: Основи, 558 с.(о)12. Чарльз ТЕЙЛОР. Джерела себе. — К.: Дух і Літера, 696 с.(п)13. Навіщо писати? Антологія нідерландської прози. — К.: Юніверс, 424 с.(п)
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14. Любомир ГОСЕЙКО. Історія українського кінематографа. 1896-1995. — К.: КІNО-КОЛО, 464 с.(о)
20061. Умберто ЕКО. Ім'я рози. — Х.: Фоліо 576 с.(п)
2.Д-р Ернест ДРЕЙК. Дракони.; Єгиптознавство. Пошуки гробниці Осіріса. — К.: Махаон-Україна 30+30 с.(п)
3. Микола ГОГОЛЬ. Ніч перед різдвом. — К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА 25 с.(п)
4.
Слово многоцінне. Хрестоматія української літератури, створеною різними мовами в епоху ренесансу та бароко ХV-ХVІІІ століть. У чотирьох книжках. — К.: Аконіт, 799+799+799+799с.(п)
5. Енн ЕППЛБОМ. Історія ГУЛАГу. — К.: Києво-Могилянська академія 511 с.(о)6. Демократія: Антологія. — К.: Смолоскип 1108 с.(п)7. Карел ШУЛЬЦ. Камінь і біль. — К.: Юніверс 688 с.(п)8. Ден БРАУН. Код да Вінчі. — Х.: Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля, 480 с.(п)9. Фрідріх ВАЙДАХЕР. Загальна музеологія. — Л.: Літопис 632 с.(п)10. Патрік ЗЮСКІНД. Парфуми. — Х.: Фоліо
11.Семюел П. ГАНТІНҐТОН. Протистояння цивілізацій та зміна світового порядку. — Л.: Кальварія 474 с.(п)
12.Націоналізм. Теорії нації та націоналізму від Йогана Фіхте до Ернеста Ґелнера.— К.: Смолоскип 684 с.(п)
13. Марина та Сергій ДЯЧЕНКИ. Ритуал. — К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА 280с.(п)
14.Анджей САПКОВСЬКИЙ. Божі воїни; Вежа блазнів. Сер. «Іноземний легіон». — К.: Зелений пес 640+736 с.(с)
20071. Салман РУШДІ. Опівнічні діти. – К.: Юніверс, 704 с.(п)2. Генрик СЕНКЕВИЧ. В пустелі та джунглях. – Л.: Артклас, 424 с.(с)3. Євген МАРКОВ. Нариси Криму. – К.: Темпора, 584 с.(п)
4. Олександр ГВАНЬЇНІ. Хроніка європейської сарматії. – К.: Києво-Могилянська академія, 1006 с.(п)
5. Александр А.МІЛН. Вінні-Пух і всі-всі-всі. – Х.: Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля, 256 с.(с)
6. Ернст Роберт КУРЦІУС. Європейська література і латинське середньовіччя. – Л.: Літопис, 752 с.(п)
7. Гарольд БЛУМ. Західний канон. Книги на тлі епох. – К.: Факт, 720 с.(п)8. Тоні МОРРІСОН. Пісня Соломона. – К.: Юніверс, 376 с.(с)
9.
Казки Африки; Казки Австралії; Казки Китаю; Казки Індокитаю; Казки Англії, Ірландії та Шотландії; Казки Іспанії та Португалії; Словянські казки; Казки Скандінавії; Казки Латинської Амекрики; Казки Японії. – К.: Грані-Т, 56+56+64+56+56+64+64+64+48+48+54 с.(о)
10. Філософія права. – К.: Основи, 1256 с.(п)11. Мішель МОНТЕНЬ. Проби. Книга ІІІ. – К.: Дух і Літера, 383 с.(п)
12. Франсуа ФЮРЕ. Минуле однієї ілюзії. Комуністична ідея у ХХ столітті. – К.: Дух і Літера, 814 с.(п)
13. Ліман Френк БАУМ. Дивовижний чарівник країни ОЗ. – Л.: Видавництво Старого Лева, 256 с.(п)
14. Антологія феміністичної філософії. – К.: Основи, 800 с.(о)
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20081. Едвард САЇД. Культура й імперіалізм. – К.: Критика, 608 с.(о)1. Алан Александер МІЛН. Ходіть зі мною! – К.: Перископ, 64 с.(п)2. Славой 56ЖИЖЕК. Дражливий суб’єкт. Відсутній центр політичної онтології.
— К.: ППС-2002, 510 с.(о)3. Ален БЕЗАНСОН. Лихо століття. Про комунізм, нацизм та
унікальність56голокосту. – К.: Пульсари, 136 с.(п)4. По одному віршу ста поетів (1235 р.). Збірка японської класичної поезії VІІ–
ХІІІ ст. – К.: Грані-Т, 232 с.(п)5. Єжи Ґедройць та українська 56міграція: листування 1950-1982 років. – К.:
Критика, 752 с.(п)6. Деніел С.ГАЛЛІН, Паоло МАНЧІНІ. Сучасні медіа системи: три моделі
відносин ЗМІ та політики. – К.: Наука, 320 с.(о)7. Сергій ЄКЕЛЬЧИК. Імперія пам‘яті. Російсько-українські стосунки в
радянській історичній уяві. – К.: Критика, 304 с.(о)8. Карл МАНГАЙМ. Ідеологія та утопія. – К.: Дух і Літера, 370 с.(п)9. Норман ДЕЙВІС. Боже ігрище: історія Польщі. – К.: Основи, 1080 с.(п)10. Відкритість. Суспільство. Влада. Від Нантського едикту до падіння
комунізму. – К.: Ніка-Центр, 264 с.(п)11. М.В.ГОГОЛЬ. Вечори на хуторі біля Диканьки. Миргород. – К.: Либідь, 488 с.
(п)12. Клаус БАЙМЕ. Політичні теорії сучасності. — К.: Стилос, 398 с.(о)13. Вільям ШЕКСПІР. Гамлет, Принц Данський. – К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА,
238 с.(с)14. Генрі МІНЦБЕРҐ. Зліт і падіння стратегічного планування. – К.: Видавництво
Олексія Капусти, 412 с.(п)
20091. Блез ПАСКАЛЬ. Думки. – К.: Дух і Літера, 704 с.(п)2. Богуміл ГРАБАЛ. Я обслуговував англійського короля. – К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-
ГА, 240 с.(п)3. Джеред ДАЙМОНД. Зброя, мікроби і харч: Витоки нерівностей між народами.
– К.: Ніка-Центр, 488 с.(п)4. Ларі ВУЛФ. Винайдення Східної Європи. Мапа цивілізації у свідомості епохи
Просвітництва. – К.: Критика, 592 с.(о)5. Планета Земля. – К.: Махаон-Україна, 304 с.(п)6. Умберто ЕКО. Бавдоліно. – Х.: Фоліо, 444 с.(п)7. Адам МІХНІК. У пошуках свободи. Есеї про історію та політику. – К.: Дух і
Літера, 554 с.(п)8. Астольф де КЮСТІН. Правда про Росію. – К.: Український письменник;
Ярославів Вал, 242 с.(п)9. Орхан ПАМУК. Музей невинності. – Х.: Фоліо, 671 с.(п)10. Стівен КІНҐ. Коли впаде темрява. – Х.: Книжковий «Клуб сімейного дозвілля»,
432 с.(п)11. Карл Отто АПЕЛЬ. Дискурс і відповідальність: проблема переходу до
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постконвенціальної моралі. – К.: Дух і Літера, 430 с.(о)12. Микола ГОГОЛЬ. Вечори на хуторі біля Диканьки. – К.: Махаон-Україна, 136 с.
(п)13. Ґурам ПЕТРІАШВІЛІ. Чудеса Маленького Міста. – Л.: Видавництво Cтарого
Лева, 216 с.(п)14. Літературознавство; Німецькомовні письменники; Англомовні письменники;
Композитори; Філософи. – Тернопіль: Навчальна книга–Богдан, 280+352+464+430+368 с.(о)
2010
1.Європейський словник філософій. Лексикон неперекладностей. Том перший. – К.: Дух і Літера, 576 с.(п)
2.Григорій СКОВОРОДА. Повна академічна збірка текстів. – Х.: Майдан, 1400 с.(п)
3.Ксаверій КНОТЦ. Секс, якого не знаєте. Для подружніх пар, які люблять Бога. – Л.: Свічадо, 224 с.(о)
4.
Ірина МАКАРИК. Перетворення Шекспіра. Лесь Курбас, український модернізм і радянська культурна політика 1920-х років. – К.: Ніка-Центр, 348 с.(о)
5.Салман РУШДІ. Флорентійська чарівниця. – К.: Видавництво Жупанського, 288 с.(п)
6. Віктор ЄРОФЄЄВ. Енциклопедія російської душі. – К.: Ярославів Вал, 224 с.(п)7. Чеслав МІЛОШ. Абетка. – Х.: Треант, 354 с.(п)
8.Вільям і Марта СІРЗИ. Ваша вагітність. Практичний порадник від зачаття до народження. – К.: KM Publishing, 608 с.(п)
9. Вольфґанґ РЬОД. Шлях філософії: ХІХ–ХХ століття. – К.: Дух і Літера, 368 с.(о)
10.Оксфордська історія в‘язниць. Практика покарання в західному суспільстві. – К.: Всесвіт, 560 с.(п)
11.Усе про виживання у школі; Усе про виживання у поході. Абетка туриста. – Х.: Ранок, 64+64 с.(п)
12.Єжи ФІЦОВСЬКИЙ. Регіони великої єресі та околиці. Бруно Шульц і його міфологія. – К.: Дух і Літера, 544 с.(п)
13.Ентоні Д.СМІТ. Культурні основи націй. Ієрархія, заповіт і республіка. – К.: Темпора, 312 с.(о)
14. Жозе САРАМАГО. Євангелія від Ісуса Христа. – Х.: Фоліо, 539 с.(п)
2011
1.Європейський словник філософій. Лексикон неперекладностей. Том другий. – К.: Дух і Літера, 488 с.(п)
2. Російський імперіалізм. – К.: Києво-Могилянська академія, 395 с.(о)3. Грюнвальдска битва – битва народів. – К.: Балтія-Друк, 272 с.(с)4. Пиво і філософія; Їжа і філософія. – К.: Темпора, 264+346 с.(о)
5.Анрі БЕРҐСОН. Творча еволюція. – К.: Видавництво Жупанського, 318 с.(с)
6.Ульріх БЕК. Влада і контрвлада у добу глобалізації. Нова світова політична економія. — К.: Ніка-Центр, 406 с.(п)
7. Вільям МАК-НІЛ. Піднесення Заходу. – К.: Ніка-Центр, 960 с.(п)8. Ганс Християн АНДЕРСЕН. Кресало. – К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 28 с.(п)9. Чеслав МІЛОШ. Велике князівство літератури. Вибрані есеї. – К.: Дух і
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Літера, 440 с.()10. Стівен КІНҐ. Під куполом. – Х.: Клуб сімейного дозвілля, 1024 с.(п)
11.Барбара КОСМОВСЬКА. Буба; Буба. Мертвий сезон. – Л.: Урбіно, 240+224 с.(п)
12.Марія МАЄРЧИК. Ритуал і Тіло. Структурно-семантичний аналіз українських обрядів родинного циклу – К.: Критика, 326 с.(п)
13. Джонатан ГІЛЛ. Історія християнства. – К.: Темпора, 560 с.(п)
14.Януш КОРЧАК. Пригоди короля Мацюся. – К.: А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА, 534 с.(п)
2012
15.Інокентій ГІЗЕЛЬ. Вибрані твори у 3-х томах. Т. ІІ, ІІІ. – Л.: Свічадо, 460+450 с.(п)
16.Єврейська цивілізація. Оксфордський підручник з юдаїки. У 2 томах. – К. : Дух і Літера; Дніпропетровськ: Центр «Ткума», 560 с.(п)
17.Сергій ЄКЕЛЬЧИК. Історія України: становлення модерної нації. – К.: Laurus, 376 с.(п)
18.Джордж ВАЙҐЕЛЬ. Свідок надії. Життєпис Папи Івана-Павла ІІ. – Л.: Український Католицький університет, 1040 с.(о)
19.Макс ВЕБЕР. Господарство і суспільство. Нариси соціології розуміння. – К.: Всесвіт, 1112 с.(п)
20.«Скарбниця потребна й пожиточна». Українські монастирські літописи, житія, повчання ченцям, чуда та інше. – К.: Либідь, 488 с.(п)
21.Аляйда АССМАН. Простори спогаду. Форми та трансформації культурної пам´яті. – К. : Ніка-Центр, 440 с.(п)
22. Енциклопедія винаходів і відкриттів. – К.: Махаон-Україна, 496 с.(п)
23.Волтер АЙЗЕКСОН. Стів Джобс. Біографія засновника компанії «Apple». – К.: Брайт Стар Паблішінг, 608 с.(с)
24.Ю.ЧЕПОВЕЦЬКИЙ. Веселі пригоди Мицика і Кицика; Пригоди шахового солдата Пєшкіна. – Х.: Школа, 160+192 с.(п)
25.Бруно ШУЛЬЦ. Книга листів; Літературно-критичні нариси. – К.: Дух і Літера, 360+176 с.(п+о)
26. Ернест СЕТОН-ТОМПСОН. Маленькі дикуни. – К.: Темпора, 446 с.(п)27. Умберто ЕКО. Празький цвинтар. – Х.: Фоліо, 633 с.(п)28. Мішель УЕЛЬБЕК. Карта і територія. – Х.: Фоліо, 347 с.(п)
58
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