Борис Балясный (Boriss Baljasnõi)
Boris Balyasny (born 26 June 1957) is an Estonian-Russian poet, translator, translation scholar, educator and publisher.
Balyasny was born in Zhytomyr in Ukraine. From 1974-1979, he studied at Novocherkassk Polytechnic University from which he graduated in the speciality of machine construction. In 1980, he was sent to work in Estonia. From 1980–1985, he worked as a mechanic in Tallinn, later held positions related to literature and publishing: in 1986–1990 as a literary consultant at the Estonian Writers’ Union, in 1990–1993 in publishing and book sales at Davir company and from 1994 at BRI & Ko publishers.
Balyasny made his first poetry translations from Estonian into Russian in 1982. Since the early1990s, he has actively translated Estonian poetry, including poetry for children. He has used the experience gained in translation for research. From 1998–2000, he was engaged in master’s studies of Slavic philology at Tallinn University and obtained a master’s degree for his thesis Возможные компенсации потерь при переводе эстонской поэзии на русский язык (‘Potential Compensation of Losses at Translation of Estonian poetry into Russian’). From 2002–2005, he was a doctoral student at the Department of Semiotics at the University of Tartu and acquired a doctoral degree in semiotics and cultural studies with the thesis Семиотические аспекты перевода и прикладное переводоведение (‘Semiotic Aspects of Translation and Applied Translation Studies’). He teaches translation theory and practice and foundations of editing at Tallinn University.
Balyasny made his debut as a poet in 1974 (in Estonia in 1981), as a translator in print in 1984. He has published five collections of poetry. In addition to Estonian, Balyasny has translated poems from Finnish, Ukrainian and Bulgarian. In 1999, he founded a teaching studio of literary translation and has acted as its head. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 1997, New York Russian Writers’ Club from 1999, the Linguistic Society of St Petersburg from 2003, and the International Federation of Russian-speaking Writers from 2006.
Balyasny’s poems follow the classical traditions of Russian poetry. As a poet, he draws his themes from his identity and path of life, Estonian nature, Tallinn townscapes, Estonian and Russian literature. As a translator, he is primarily known for his translations of emigre Estonian poets Kalju Lepik and Karl Ristikivi but also for the translations of Mats Traat’s poems into Russian. He has also translated the poems of Marie Under, Betti Alver, Aleksander Suuman, Priidu Beier, Aado Lintrop, Ellen Niit, Leelo Tungal, Doris Kareva, Ott Arder, Teet Kallas, Heljo Mänd, Juhan Viiding, Erika Esop, Heiki Vilep, Ilmar Trull, Contra, and other Estonian poets into Russian.
Boriss Balyasny’s poetry has been published in literary journals in Estonia and Russia. His poems have been translated into Estonian and Bulgarian.
L. P. (Translated by I. A.)
Poems in Russian
Я никогда не видел бересклета. Таллинн, 1989, 26 lk.
Светотень. Таллинн: Б. Балясный, 1997, 117 lk.
Монисто [стихи и либретто]. Таллинн: BRI & Ko, 2002, 133 lk.
Узелковое письмо: избранные стихи, комментарии. Tallinn: BRI & Ko, 2018, 323 lk.
Poems in Estonian
Vihmade varjus. Koostaja: Igor Kotjuh, toimetajad: Igor Kotjuh, Aare Pilv, tõlkijad: Eda Ahi, Contra, Hasso Krull, Mats Traat ja Valeeria Villandi. Tallinn: EKSA, 2017, 119 lk.
