The history of the creation and publication of the first complete translation of the Elder Edda: To the 140th anniversary of the birth of S. A. Sviridova (Sviridenko)

Abstract

The article deals with the main works of the poet and translator Sofya Alexandrovna Sviridova (1882 — not earlier than 1928, pseudonyms S. Sviridenko, G. Sviridova), first of all, the history of the creation and first publication of the first complete translation into Russian of the Elder Edda (1910, 1st volume published in 1917), in a manuscript awarded the Academic Prize of M. N. Akhmatov. Archival materials found by the author of the publication shed light on some episodes from Sviridova’s biography, including the years of her studies at the St Petersburg Higher Women’s (Bestuzhev) Courses. The article deals with the episodes that influenced the life and creative destiny of Sophia Sviridova, such as, for example, acquaintance with Professor F. A. Brown, who became her teacher and then chief reviewer, collaborated with A. Blok, who systematically gave the translator a job at the “World Literature” publishing house. Particular attention is paid to the description of the second volume of the complete translation of the Old Norse epic Elder Edda, which to this day remains in the manuscript and is stored in the archive of the publisher M. V. Sabashnikov. This study can serve as a theoretical basis for the publication of the second volume of the translation of the Elder Edda by S. Sviridenko (Sviridova), or the publication of the entire work in one book — this is exactly how it seemed logical and correct to the translator herself. Hopefully some other works from the rich literary heritage of S. A. Sviridova will be published in the future.