Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova to meet with translator of Pushkin’s poetry into English Julian Henry Lowenfeld to discuss and summarize his proposals

NOVO-OGAREVO, June 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized that Moscow can afford to promote the Russian language and culture across the world even despite falling oil prices.

“We have enough funds for promotion of Russian culture, the Russian language and [Alexander] Pushkin’s heritage in spite of the drop in oil prices. Moreover, the prices are going up,” Putin said at a videoconference with culture workers in response to a speech by Julian Henry Lowenfeld, an American poet, playwright and translator of Pushkin’s poetry into English.

Lowenfeld put forward some ideas aimed at popularizing the Russian language.

Putin instructed Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova to meet with Lowenfeld to discuss and summarize his proposals. Lyubimova assured the president that the meeting would definitely take place and the president would be informed about it.

Putin said that he admires the works by Lowenfeld and other prominent translators of Russian classic literature into foreign languages.

“I understand that it stems from your inner need to do your job. When that all aligns – both the profession and the determination to work – it brings about a maximum result,” Putin told the playwright.

According to Putin, Russian classic fiction is rather complicated for translation.

“You need talent to convey the essence and to convey the elegance of the author,” he said adding that “talent is a compulsory thing, otherwise everything grinds to a standstill after one or two unsuccessful experiments.”.

(C)TASS 2020