Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 12 (2015 8) 2939-2946 ~ ~ ~ УДК 81.33 Siberia in the Mirror of Other Cultures: Literature and Translation Veronica A. Razumovskaya* Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia Received 24.06.2015, received in revised form 14.07.2015, accepted 19.09.2015 The article deals with the origin and the matter of reflecting the “Siberia” concept in the texts of Russian literature, which has resulted in the creation of a “strong” literary image of Siberia. The particular attention is paid to the Siberian text as a translation object and to translation units in the text. The article considers the main types of Siberian texts involved in the interlingual literary translation: tales and epic texts of the peoples of Siberia, literary texts of Siberian writers (V.P Astafyev, V.M. Shukshin). The Siberian text is understood as an integral and significant part of the Russian cultural and literary space. Being involved in the continuous process of global cross-cultural interaction and mutual influence, the Siberian text broadcasts cultural information about Russia and Siberia to the representatives of “other” cultures. Keywords: : Siberia, Siberian text, literary image, literary translation, culturonym. DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-2015-8-12-2939-2946. Research area: philology. In the perception of the representatives “The Death of Ermak” (the verse part of which of “other” cultures, Russia is traditionally has later become the folk song “The storm was associated with such key concepts as “vast roaring”): “The word Siberia now means an territory”, “multinational”, “multilingualism” immeasurable space from the Ural mountain and “multiculturalism”. Conceptual heterogeneity range to the shores of the Eastern Ocean. In the is a direct consequence of the fact that different old days, the Siberian kingdom was the name of Russian territories have geographical, historical a small Tatar property, with its capital Isker on and cultural peculiarities. Siberia occupies a the Irtysh River, a tributary of the Ob” (Ryleev, special place among the territories of Russia. 2013: 207). Currently, the lexical unit “Siberia” The etymology of the toponym “Siberia” has several meanings: the northern part of Asia; is unclear (Turkic, Mongol or Tatar). It was a vast geographical area of the north-eastern first mentioned in the chronicles of the 12th- Eurasia limited by the Ural Mountains, the 13th centuries (Pospelov, 2001). In 1821, the dividing ridges of the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Decembrist K.F. Ryleev wrote in his ballad Ocean and the borders of neighbouring states © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] – 2939 – Veronica A. Razumovskaya. Siberia in the Mirror of Other Cultures: Literature and Translation of Russia (Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China); One of the first literary works depicting the a historical concept, which also includes the image of Siberia was “The Life of the Archpriest northeast of Kazakhstan and the Far East of Avvakum” written in the 17th century. Exiled Russia. It is believed that the first use of the word to Tobolsk, and then to the Trans-Baikal for “Siberia” for the geopolitical purpose to refer to his opponent views concerning the reforms the territory lying to the east of the Volga can be of Nikon, the archpriest described Siberia as found in the letter of the Russian Tsar Ivan the a space of infinite cold, constant hunger and Terrible to the English Queen Elizabeth I dated terrible human sufferings. It is noteworthy that 1570 (Grozny, 2000). It was during the reign of in this text, there is a steady opposition “Russia Ivan the Terrible when the multinational Siberian (Rus’) – Siberia”. The idea of Siberia as a kind Khanate was annexed to the Moscow state, and of the “other”, “non-Russian” land is very Siberia for a long time had become a colony with strong in the Russian literary tradition. “Even the increase in population due to migration of Siberians themselves treated Siberian margins peasants, as well as people in exile and convicts. as completely opposite: from the notion that Modern Siberia occupies 73% of the territory of “Siberia is the same Russia” to the absolute Russia, and its area without the Far East exceeds identity of Siberia and formation of special the total area of Canada. The population of Siberia “Russian Siberian peoples” here” (Shakherov, is about 26 million people, accounting for 18% of 2004: 19). Initially Siberia is understood in the total population of Russia. Siberia is a very literary texts only as an extremely remote and underpopulated area (2 people per 1 square km). dangerous area, which is directly related to the In 2000, the Siberian Federal District was formed stable association of Siberia as a traditional on the territory of Siberia under the Presidential place of exile almost during all periods of the Decree (19 million residents). The vast territory of history of the Russian state since the exploration Siberia, its historical, climatic and demographic of the territory by Ermak. It was Siberia that features, as well as rich reserves of various became the place of exile for Decembrists. minerals determine the importance of the region Investigating the way of life of the exiled in the political, economic and, of course, cultural Decembrists, Yu.M. Lotman notes that due to life of Russia. the steady negative associations Siberia has The concept “Siberia” conceptualized in the entered “literary themes and oral mythology of Russian language in the process of development the Russian culture as a place of exile” (Lotman, of the vast Siberian territories that may be 1994: 113). A striking image Siberia-prison for considered, for example, on the material of the the Decembrists was created by A.S. Pushkin texts of peasant petitions (chelobitnaia), reflecting in his famous poem of 1827 “In the depths the linguistic consciousness of the authors of the Siberian ores ...”. The image of Siberia (Iniutina, 2015). The “strength” of the concept as a place of exile is represented in the texts “Siberia” in the cultural space of Russia creates of many Russian classics: A.N. Radishchev, numerous cultural stereotypes and results in the A.S. Griboyedov, N.V. Gogol, V.G. Korolenko, regular reflection of this concept in literary texts. F.M. Dostoevsky (Khlamova, 2009). Although This fact suggests the presence of a complex the Siberian land became the place of exile of of Siberian mythologems associated with this the Decembrists, literary writing of many of concept, and the literary image of Siberia (Tiupa, them marked the beginning of the creation of a 2002, Ertner). positive image of Siberia (Nikonov). – 2940 – Veronica A. Razumovskaya. Siberia in the Mirror of Other Cultures: Literature and Translation Thus, the toponym “Siberia” has got not Siberian and Russian literature are inseparable – only the stable associations with such concepts “But may be Siberian literature was an organic as “exile” and “prison”, but also possesses part of the whole of Russian culture? ... And the associations with the concepts “exotics”, later on, literary discoveries of Vampilov and “wealth”, “freedom”. For A.P. Chekov Siberia Shukshin, Astafyev and Rasputin will spread in is primarily “the road” as the writer travelled the text of the all-Russian literary process and from Moscow to Sakhalin via vast territory of will determine something very significant in its Siberia. And it was Chekov who predicted the development” (Ianushkevich, 2004: 234). future of the Siberian land: “ I stood there and Therefore, Siberian and Russian literature thought what a overwhelming, intelligent and and culture, recognizing the great conditionality courageous life will illuminate these banks in of this distinction, are closely interrelated and course of time” (Chekov, 1978: 35). The new interdependent and jointly participate in the meaning of “the land as fairy tale” was presented international literary and cultural process. A in a number of texts by N.A. Nekrasov. Later the special place and a special role in this process idea of fabulous and fantastic Siberia (which is belongs to the literary translation, an effective very close to mythological mentality) was found instrument for the exploration of the world, in literary texts. formation and expansion of the cultural memory There is no doubt that a special place in of humanity and, without any doubt, a cultural Siberian studies belongs to the Siberian text, phenomenon. In the translated versions the understood in this paper, in the broad sense Siberian literary text finds its reflection in the as a text “about Siberia” (Anisimov, 2010: 3). mirrors of other cultures and participates in the According to A.S. Ianushkevich, this kind of dialogue of cultures understood as “cognition of the text was formed in the process of exploring other cultures through one’s own culture and one’s Siberia as a special semiosphere and has peculiar own culture through other cultures by means of chronotopic and polysemantic characteristics. cultural interpretation and adaptation of these Defining the Siberian text as a historiosophical and cultures to each other” (Mironov, 2005: 150). historical-cultural concept, as historiosophical An important place among Siberian literary and cultural dichotomy, the researcher points out texts belongs to the texts of fairy tales. In 1935, that in the process of understanding this concept “The Northern Tales” of the famous collector at the intersection of both myth and reality, the of folklore, M.I. Osharova, were published. The Siberian text inside and outside acquires the edition includes more than a hundred tales of the energy of identification and self-consciousness. indigenous peoples of the northern territories of It is highly important that Siberian literature Siberia (Evenks, Kets, Dolgans and Nenets). In and, accordingly, Siberian culture had not been the ten-volume edition of 1995, “The Tales of the developing in isolation from Russian literature World Folks”, the tales of the Siberian peoples and culture.