Speaking between the Lines: Letters from the Gulag

• In Event: Liberating Translation II: Liberating Cultural Mediators

Abstract

The paper delves into the cultural resistance exhibited by Ukrainian writers and translators imprisoned in the Gulag during the Brezhnev era. It specifically explores the diverse methods these writers employed to bypass the stringent censorship enforced by the camp authorities. Self-censorship and the use of Aesopian language as a form of linguistic camouflage emerge as prominent strategies adopted by the incarcerated literati. Additionally, the paper examines the phenomenon of pseudotranslations within Soviet prison writing, shedding light on this intriguing aspect of literary resistance.

Author

• Valentyna Savchyn, Lund U (Sweden)