You surely know Natalia Mykolaiivna Yakovenko, don't you? I think it is not an exaggeration to say that she is the leading Ukrainian historian of the last decades. She is the author of the landmark "Sketch of the History of Ukraine"(«Нарис історії України») (if you haven't read it already, it's about time), "Introduction to History" («Вступ до історії»), and "Mirrors of Identity"(«Дзеркала ідентичності»). This is our Marc Bloch and Jacques Le Goff all in one.
What I mean is, today I had the honour of paying a special visit to Mrs. Natalia today. She told me to be optimistic and switch the tumbler and find a job.
She's now - go through all the options, will you? - translating Titus Livius.
"You see, Zhenya, history does not begin with Herodotus, these are just fairy tales. The real history begins with Livius. There is no Ukrainian translation of Ab urbe condita, and I recently remembered that I have a good command of Latin. Other plots require work in the archives, and my health is not so good, I decided to take up Livius.
As of today, Natalia Mykolaiivna is on her 29th book of "Stories from the Founding of the City" out of 45, working on the war with Hannibal. And literally before the beginning of this war, she prepared the first five books for publication. It was decided that they should not be delayed. Although Mrs. Natalia is not worried about that; a little nervous about a possible shortage of her favourite cigarettes. I promised to find them.
That is - you see: at this moment in Kyiv, an elderly phenomenal historian systematically translates Livius. Because that's the way it has to be.
This is what we are fighting for.
Ukrainian Text by Yevhenii Stanisevych, translated into English byUkrainianvancouver team – Mar 23, 2022
Comments