7. Translation in the post-Soviet period (the 1990s)

The years of perestroika radically changed the nature of translation practice in general and the market for translations in particular. The abolition of censorship has made it possible to translate many books which had been regarded as inadmissible on ideological or moral grounds. Publishing houses are no longer financed by the state, and many have since gone bankrupt or have had to reduce their output drastically. The market has been swamped by private commercial enterprises, with the result that book prices have risen sharply and standards have generally dropped. Emphasis has now shifted to translating popular fiction and pornographic material.

The new situation has had both positive and negative effects on the business side of translation. Most translations are now from English and translators receive better remuneration. Higher fees encouraged many non-professionals to try their hand at translation, and this has naturally produced a great number of poorly translated books. The new publishers set very tight deadlines in order to market the translations ahead of their competitors; they are no longer interested in supporting the kind of long and arduous effort that can result in a masterpiece.

There has also been a greater demand for English and German interpreters, and many of them earn good money working for national or foreign firms, or joint ventures. By contrast, translators from other languages often find it difficult to make a living. Especially hard hit have been the languages of limited diffusion (розповсюдження) and staff translators who had previously enjoyed a regular income in the state publishing houses. The new market conditions highlight the absence of appropriate legislation to regulate translation activities. The newly founded Ukrainian Association of Translators has been trying hard to raise the social and financial status of its members and to restore the prestige of translation in the country.