Postgraduate student Maksim Sokolov has won the International Poetry Translation Competition organized by N.V. Parakhin Oryol Agrarian State University.

Maksim drew the jury’s attention by his unusual translation style. His deep study of the processes of understanding allowed Maksim to move on to the talented bridge-building between words and emotions through the language of poetry. His translation of the song lyrics "Quand du printemps... " by Ondine Valmore, a French poetess of the 19th century, was appreciated by experts for the fresh and original approach, which allowed him to win the nomination “Uniqueness of style”.

In spring...
When every bush is covered
With young spring leaves, 
And from the open mouth of earth
Mere trees will grow,
When Nature’ll smiles,
And touch with rays of bliss,
As if the stars were shining once again
With their artless kindness 
Reflected in an infant’s eyes...
A girl in a sparkling crown
Will appear in front of me: as if she’s wandering all over grasslands
And picking the first buds,
She flies in sky without signs of autumn
By God’s Command:
In a child’s vernal dream.

"I’ve been studying French for a long time – over ten years, but mostly on my own and in my own special style", shared Maksim his experience. “I try building a unified worldview of the life of these languages through the common Indo-European etymology of the roots in Russian, English, French, and even German, and thereby master them. This approach does not include grammar: I rely on my brain’s work: under certain conditions, it itself can still grasp grammatical patterns and regularities due to exposure of the recipient to the target language, or "the recipient’s immersion into the language-learning environment", if to use wording from the theory of teaching foreign languages".

The Department of Foreign Languages and RFL (Russian as a Foreign Language) is proud of its postgraduates! Their diligence, industry and zeal assist to our University’s transformation into the centre of linguistic and cultural mutual exchange. Their today successful participation in All-Russian Olympiads and competitions in foreign languages contributes to sustainable development of future international and interethnic relations. 

Marina Pridanova