Introduction to translating Etkind

The text is a translation from Russian of the first chapter of Soviet theorist Efim Etkind’s 1963 work Poeziia i perevod [Poetry and Translation], in slightly abridged form. Etkind is a vital figure within the translation milieu of the ‘Thaw’ era of the late 1950s and early 1960s, when there was a policy of de-Stalinization and a degree of liberalization. Etkind’s insightful work on poetry translation using comparative stylistics reflected, in some ways, the cultural-political environment of the time. It differed radically from the Realist approach of Ivan Kashkin, who was influenced by Socialist Realism and Stalin-era rhetoric. Etkind pushed the boundaries of what could be said about translation. His apparently apolitical approach was in fact strongly politicized in the Soviet context, and his choice of authors and translators to discuss evidenced his sympathy for those out of favor with the regime and for fellow Jews.