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Translation and Interpreting Studies: Online-First Articles

Translating boundaries in Russia Abroad

Literary translations and paratext in the popular Russian émigré newsmagazine Illiustrirovannaia Rossiia (Paris; 1924–1939)

ORCID logo | Ghent University (UGent)
This article responds to recent calls for research on literary translations in émigré periodicals as a means of exploring the cultural boundary work between the diaspora and its host cultures. Focusing on the community of Russia Abroad (1919–1939), for whom the printed word was vital in sustaining and disseminating cultural life, this study examines the role of translations in shaping diasporic identity. Using Illiustrirovannaia Rossiia [Illustrated Russia] (Paris; 1924–1939) a prominent Russian émigré newsmagazine as a case study, this article combines a descriptive analysis of literary translations with a qualitative examination of the accompanying editorial paratexts. The findings reveal that translated literature not only contributed to the formation of a distinct émigré cultural identity but also served as a crucial tool in defining boundaries between the Russian diaspora and the surrounding host cultures.
Keywords: literary translation, periodicals, diaspora, Russian emigration, paratext
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Review of literature: Diaspora, translation and the periodical
  • Capturing the emigration: Illustrated Russia (1924–1939)
  • Method and analysis
  • Results
    • Literary translations in Illustrated Russia
    • The editorial introduction: Russian émigrés and the Other(s)
    • Russian literature?
    • Tall tales and foreign gaze
    • The other sides
    • Contemporary humor
    • Framing translations, constructing boundaries
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 10 December 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.23079.nam
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