Mysuru: Basava Balagagala Okkoota Wednesday honoured Galina Kopeliovich, a Russian scholar who has translated the 12th-century ‘vachanas’ of Basavadi Sharanas into Russian with meanings, at Kuvempunagara in the city.The translation work was carried out under the guidance of HS Harishankar, a retired professor at Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies. Senior poet KC Shivappa and orator M Krishnegowda felicitated Galina.Speaking on the occasion, Krishnegowda said that translation was a challenging task, as words in one language often lacked exact equivalents in another. He appreciated Galina for completing such important work. He also said that while English speakers promoted their language wherever they went, leading to its global spread, Kannada had not been promoted in a similar manner.Harishankar said that Galina would next translate KC Shivappa’s ‘Muddurama Charite Chaupadi’ into Russian.In her remarks, Galina said she initially learned Kannada out of interest and later came to understand the significance of the Sharanas’ ‘vachanas’, which led her to translate them into Russian. She said the work had been released in Russia and thanked the organisers for the honour, adding that she would translate more works like this in the future.Federation president M Chandrashekar was also present.
