Leonid Stepanovich would have turned 100 years old

The article celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Russian linguist and translation scholar Leonid Stepanovich Barkhudarov. Authored by Christian Balliu, it explores Barkhudarov’s contributions to translation theory, highlighting his linguistic and semiotic-semantic approaches. The study examines the historical context of translation studies in Russia, tracing its roots back to the 18th century, and contrasts it with Western traditions. Special focus is given to Barkhudarov’s seminal work “Language and Translation” (1975), where he proposed a transformational model of translation that integrates analysis and synthesis of linguistic units. The article also addresses the underappreciation of Barkhudarov’s legacy in Western scholarship and calls for a deeper engagement with his ideas.