Two Translation Periods in Dostoevsky’s Canon Formation in Greece (1886-1900 and 1926-54)

This chapter examines the role of translation in Dostoevsky’s reception in Greece during two different time periods: the late nineteenth century (1886-1900), when Dostoevsky’s writings were first translated in Greek periodicals, and the mid-twentieth century (1926-1954), when his collected works first appeared in Greek. I argue that Dostoevsky’s translations provide a case study for the diachronic reception of Russian literature in Greece, and how (re)translations and agents involved in the translation process (translators, publishers, editors) contributed to Dostoevsky’s canonization in Greek culture. The first section examines the early reception of Russian literature when the Modern Greek literary field, still taking shape, sought to accumulate literary resources through translation. I focus on the first Greek translation of Crime and Punishment (1889) by the writer Alexandros Papadiamantes (1851-1911). I analyse Papadiamantes’s highly idiosyncratic translation style and how Dostoevsky’s work influenced his own major novel, The Murderess (1903). The second part of the chapter explores the impact of the Russian Revolution on the Greek reception of Russian literature, and how the Greek publishing world reacted to expanding audiences for Russian works. I also investigate how, by founding publishing house Govostes Editions in 1926, publisher Kostas Govostes met demand for good-quality translations from Russian. Finally, I examine how the employment of the Russian-born Greek poet Ares Alexandrou (1922-1978) as a translator in 1942 allowed Govostes to publish Dostoevsky’s complete works, now regarded as the standard edition in Greek.