Translating Life and Fate (with Robert Chandler)

Soviet Censorship

Robert Chandler provides a deep dive into the intricacies of Soviet censorship and its impact on Vasily Grossman's writings. He explains how the Soviet regime's censorship was more about tone than content, removing anything undignified or ironic from Grossman's work, particularly in the context of the Battle of Stalingrad 1. Chandler notes that the censors edited out Grossman's humor and irony, as well as any portrayal of Soviet figures in a less-than-noble light.

Everything undignified was being deleted by the censors, including jokes and moments of irony.

--- Robert Chandler

Russ Roberts highlights the parallels between Soviet and Nazi systems, noting how both regimes employed officers to root out heresy, which Grossman found fascinating 2.

   

Restoring Content

Chandler's translation of "Life and Fate" involved meticulous efforts to restore censored material, guided by various versions of the text and scholarly input. He relied on early typescripts and guidance from Moscow scholars to identify what Grossman originally intended to include 1. Chandler's approach was to compare different versions to discern the essence of Grossman's work, focusing on elements that were omitted by censors.

I could now look at the early typescript and decide which bits from it should deserve to be included in our version.

--- Robert Chandler

Additionally, Chandler faced challenges with the Russian language and character complexity, using forums and community support to navigate these hurdles 3.