Fundamental Work by a Literary Scholar and Translator: French Translation of N. M. Karamzin’s “Letters of a Russian Traveler”

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Kafanova, O. B. “Fundamental Work of a Literary Scholar and Translator: French Translation of N. M. Karamzin’s ʽLetters of a Russian Traveler’.” Dva veka russkoi klassiki, vol. 8, no. 2, 2026, pp. 414–433. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-2-414-433
Abstract:
This review is dedicated to the first complete French translation of N. M. Karamzin’s “Letters of a Russian Traveler.” It provides a comprehensive overview of the edition, published by the French literary scholar and translator, renowned specialist in 18th-century Russian literature and a Sorbonne professor, Rodolphe Bodin. The review examines the fundamental scholarly apparatus, including a multi- part Introduction of literary value, and 937 notes and comments by the translator. At the same time, the most representative fragments of the translation are analyzed, and their fidelity to the original is assessed. The introductory article raises a number of topical scholarly issues, including: the tradition of Russian travel in Europe, the historical and cultural significance of “Letters of a Russian Traveler,” and the reception of the work in Russia and the West. Of particular interest is the information presented on three previous French translations, little known or completely unknown in Russia. Bodin emerges as a first-class translator, the creator of the first faithful translation of the “Letters of a Russian Traveller” in France.
Keywords: N. M. Karamzin, Rodolphe Bodin, translation, scholarly apparatus, historical significance, reception
Author: Olga B. Kafanova
Information about the author:
Olga B. Kafanova, DSc in Philology, Professor, St. Petersburg Institute of Business and Innovation, 3 Gavanskaya St., 199105 St. Petersburg, Russia.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5478-6261

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received: January 17, 2026
Approved after reviewing: March 15, 2026
Published: June 25, 2026
Issue: 2026 Volume 8 No. 2
Department: Scientific Life
Pages: 414-433
DOI: Visit Website
EDN:
https://elibrary.ru/XKDMMA
UDK: 821.161.1.09"18"; 821.133.1.0
Publication Type: Book Review

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