By way of self-introduction


I am a diplomaed geologist and a certified English-Russian translator since 1975 and I hold a Candidate of Sciences degree (informally regarded equivalent to PhD) in Geology and Mineralogy since 1989.

I translate and interpret on many topics (but mostly, geology and economic minerals) in the En <> Ru pair.

I translate in the sphere of geology, mineral exploration, and many other fields -- in the En<>Ru, Pol-Ru, Pol-En, Ukr-En pairs.

My work history comprises over 37 years as a researcher and an explorationist on projects run by Soviet, then Russian and Western entities from NW Russia to Australia and over 36 years as a translator, including for a number of English-language geological journals issued by Russian and US publishers (AGU-published Russian Journal of Earth Sciences, MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica's Geochemistry International -- which you can see on my photo -- and Geotectonics). For several years I headed a major translation project on human rights for KARTA, Warsaw. Since 2002, heading a team of freelancers handling large translation projects for the world’s leading mining/exploration companies.

My translations are here illustrated by some examples of my work.

I translate files generated in the majority of applicable formats, and I interpret at negotiations and conferences, on field trips and by Skype or phone.

My work is fast and consistent, and my rates are competitive and negotiable.

I can make a free test translation for you if you provide at least three pages (~1000 words) of coherent text, of which I would translate about half a page. Please accept my apologies for this precaution against those hunting for free translation.

Translating is a thrill and a source of inspiration. In this regard, I would only compare it to geological surveying — a “bloodless hunt” in which the lurking creature of a sought-for rock ( = the right word or phrase) has to be tracked down to its hideout amidst a maze of misleading gullies and precipitous dry creeks (= countless local terms and argotisms, “translator’s false friends,” occasional author’s ambiguities and cumbersome or sluggish wording, and last not least, logic barriers). The prize — an accurate and stylish translation — is often less rewarding than the lucky finds and revelatory ideas suddenly dawning on the “hunter” in the process. The game is thus worth the candles.

While translating your draft project text, or your exploration report, or your GGIS/GIS database, I visualize the operation scenery and become one with the terrain and rock formations, feeling the rock grains with my fingertips, inhaling deeply the tundra or desert breeze, and associating myself with your field team. It is as if I might be sitting somewhere close to your campfire or sampling an outcrop on a nearby creek. Your goal becomes my goal. I press hard and steady to reach it.

I make a reliable teammate; my long-standing clients and colleagues are there to confirm this with their references and letters of recommendation.