Venäjän kääntäjien ja tulkkien kouluttajana 1981–2018

This article describes the history of Russian language translator training from an autoethnographic perspective, bringing out projects that are related to the author's own work tasks and research. The history of the Russian language translator training is viewed in relation to translator training as a whole and to the prevailing social context. The developments that stand out include, first, the practical orientation during the Soviet era with specific focus on trade in the 1980s, and second, the changes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. These changes included an increase in the number of native Russian speakers studying translation, and the setting up of permanent lecturers' positions for native Russian language teachers. More recent history, the 2000s and 2010s, was characterized by administrative reforms, the high number of bilingual students, and the increased relevance of working life in the training. This last development consisted of including various translation projects and an authorized translator's degree as part of the education. The article also examines the developments in translation research from the perspective of Russian. Finally, the changes that have taken place in the work environment of the trainers are discussed.