Oleksandr Finkel and The Emergence of Translation Studies in Ukraine

The paper is a tribute to Oleksandr Finkel’s signifi cant role in establishing Ukrainian translation studies
as an independent academic discipline. Finkel’s pioneering work introduced a methodological approach to
analysing linguistic aspects of translation, marking him as one of the early adopters of this approach. As a
leading scholar based in Kharkiv, he produced the research in Ukraine which had a ripple eff ect throughout the
Soviet Union and beyond. Finkel’s extensive exploration of translation as a scholarly pursuit aimed at creating
a distinct academic fi eld within Ukrainian academia utilizing a burgeoning linguostylistic methodology.
Drawing primarily from Finkel’s published works and manuscripts, the paper organizes his perspectives
around the core areas of translation studies: theory, criticism, and pedagogy. His application of linguostylistics
delves deep into fundamental translation phenomena such as equivalence, text types, translation multiplicity,
the translator’s role, intertextuality, and textual dynamics.
In the framework of George Steiner’s classifi cation of translation studies periods, Finkel’s ideas align
most closely with the third period, characterized by a linguistic approach to translation theory. Early on, he
interconnects translation with stylistics and linguistics, later evolving into linguostylistics. Key inquiries
in his work include the nature of translation, the smallest unit of translation, the linguistic structure of text
elements like words and sentences, and how linguistic elements shape historical cultural realities.
Key words: translation theory, equivalence, text types, translation quality assessment, translation
didactics.