A brief historical and comparative analysis of the Russian translations of the holy Quran

The translation of the holy Quran into Russian dates back to the 18th century. Back then the translators primarily made use of Quran’s translations in European languages. The 19th century, however, was the time when the translation of the Quran from the original Arabic into Russian began. Despite all the shortcomings mentioned about these translations, such translations have played a positive role in illuminating the Russians’ minds about the Quran. During the reign of the Soviet Union only one translation, by Krachkovsky, was published which still maintains scientific validity. In the post-Soviet era, the translation of the Quran has mostly been done by Muslim translators. In this article, a historical account of these translations is presented and their merits and demerits are carefully investigated. Moreover, a brief comparison of the Russian translations of the post-soviet period will also be made with respect to some Persian articles written in the field.