Three Stages in the Translation of Russian Literature in Mexico

Abstract

This article, based on three key case studies, presents an overview of the translation of Russian literature in Mexico from 1921 to 2021. First, it explores the influence of Russian thought and Soviet policies on the cultural project of the Mexican intellectual and politician José Vasconcelos during his tenure as Secretary of Public Education (1921-1924), drawing on Vladimir Maiakovskii’s impressions of his trip to Mexico in 1925. Vasconcelos’s programme is still regarded as the most important transformation of cultural policies in post-revolutionary Mexico. Second, I analyse the work of Mexican author Sergio Pitol in translating and disseminating Russian literature from the 1950s to the 2000s. Pitol’s case is exceptional, because he combined translation work with mastery as a prose writer, leading to the award of the Cervantes Prize―the most important prize for Spanish-language writers. Third, I focus on the work of the Mexican translator Selma Ancira as a professional translator of Russian literature from 1980 to the present day. The quality and diversity of Ancira’s versions of both Russian and Modern Greek make her a prominent figure in the contemporary panorama of Spanish-language translation. For each case study, I use a microhistorical method within the frame of the sociology of translation. Lastly, I link relevant events in the cultural and literary exchange between Mexico and Russia since 1920, seeking to delineate the role of Mexican intellectuals in the translation of Russian literature into Spanish.