Re: EJ in Russian

[Gary Kern <gkern@ucr.campus.mci.net>]

Bertil Haggman wrote:
> 
. Are there any
> translations and what can be
> done to encourage such
> translations to reach the
> multimillion readers in
> Russia and make them aware
> of EJ and his monumental work?
> 
**********************************
Bertil, you made me go to work again.  I could find no translations into
Russian of Jünger's works, although I am certain that someone told me
about a translation of HELIOPOLIS, done, as I recall, in the late 80's
or early 90's.  However, Victor Kamkin, America's largest bookstore of
Russian publications, cannot find it.

The Library of Congress provided one listing for Jünger in
transliteration from Cyrillic--i.e., IUnger:

Literatura chelovekonenavistnichestva : Sbornik statei 
[Sost. N. Anastas'ev, M. Ozerov].
 Moskva : "Khudozh. lit-ra," 1980. 
 318 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 20 cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Ideologicheskaia bor'ba i iskusstvo / V. Dmitriev -- Siluety lozhnogo
mira 
/N. Anastas'ev -- Literatura uzhasa i mistifikatsiia chitatelia / V.
Molchanov -- Ernst IUnger, burevestnik "Stal'nykh uraganov" / IU.
Arkhipov -- Trivial'naia literatura--
komu ona sluzhit? / I. Fradkin -- Puteshestvie na krai nenavisti / L.
Tokarev -- Tela i dushi / Evg. Evtushenko -- Koroli kinokhaltury / IU.
Komov -- Vnimaniia golosu orakula
/ Vitalii Kobysh -- "Shedevry absurda" i neugodnye muzy / I. Andronov --
Sud'ba Klausa Dilia / M. Ozerov. Series: Imperializm--sobytiia, fakty,
dokumenty 

The title translates as THE LITERATURE OF MISANTHROPY: A COLLECTION OF
ESSAYS.  The essay on Jünger by V. Molchanov translates as "Ernst
Jünger, Herald of the 'Steel Hurricanes.'"  The date of 1980 is
significant.  Jünger was obviously considered a fascist in the Soviet
dark ages and therefore never translated.  After the fall he has
evidently not yet been discovered, at least not in any wide sense.

How to get him into Russian?  Well, first you would have to find a
Russian translator from German willing to do the job.  Then you would
have to find a publisher in Russia interested in the project.  Next you
would have to approach Jünger's publisher for permission and find out
his conditions.  Or perhaps go straight to J's publisher and ask if he
has connections in Russia and whether he is trying to introduce J to
Russian readers.

I can contact a Russian literary agent by e-mail and ask him what he
thinks, if you like.  Russians right now are discovering the trash of
the West more readily than its treasures, also reading Russian detective
thrillers and pornography.  Intellectuals still exist, though under very
difficult conditions.

All the same, the attempt should be made.  J's first publication in
Russia should be one that could be a popular success.  What title do you
suggest?  I should mention that there is a very strong readership for
science fiction in Russia.

GK