Russian literature of the twentieth century in Turkish translations

Abstract

Russian literature of the 19th century is rightfully considered the germ of world culture. However, there is also a very colorful and diverse Russian literature of the twentieth century. To prove it, we can list the Nobel laureates: I. A. Bunin, B. L. Pasternak, A. I. Solzhenitsyn, M. A. Sholokhov, and I. A. Brodsky. Moreover, there are M. Gorky and V. Nabokov, the great literature of the “Silver Age”, and finally, the unique literature of socialist realism. These writers had a powerful impact on the entire world culture, including Turkish culture. Obviously, it is necessary to know the culture of neighboring countries. One of the best forms of mutual understanding is translations of works of fiction. This article provides a general overview of 20th-century Russian literature translations into Turkish, their understanding in historical and cultural terms. This is important as the emphasis is still on translations of the Russian classics of the “Golden Age”. The relevance of the article is also due to the fact that translations of Russian literature in Turkey are experiencing a kind of boom in the 21st century. At the same time, this paper examines translations made before 2016.