Ganzen, Anna

Anna V. Ganzen [born Vasilyeva, 8 (20. New Style). 12. 1869, Kasimov, Ryazan province, Russia - died 2. 4. 1942, Leningrad] was born into the family of a merchant. When she was three years old her family moved to St. Petersburg. She studied in some schools, finished Liteynaya classical school with a silver medal and attended Higher Women Courses (Bestuzhev Courses). In 1888 she married P. G. Ganzen, who taught her Danish and then Swedish and Norwegian. Since 1890 she would visit Denmark and Sweden. Since 1890 she helped her husband translate the works of Scandinavian authors into Russian. P. G. Ganzen wrote in his letter to B. Bjørnsson dated August 16, 1891: “My translation of “Hedda Gabler” is being highly praised. Its language is considered to be perfect. I can write about it without confusion because it’s so thanks to my wife” [Ober K. H. Peter Emanuel Hansen and the Popularization of Scandinavian Literature in Russia 1888-1917. Urbana, p. 38.] Since 1894 the couple started signing their translations as “A. & P. Ganzen”.
 

They made Russian readers familiar with Scandinavian Literature, writing introductory articles about writers’ work. A. & P. Ganzen were the first who translated Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales from Danish, not from German as it had been done before: Works Collection of Hans Christian Andersen (vol. 1-4. SPb., 1894-1895). Contemporaries highly praised Works Collection of Henrik Ibsen (vol.1-8. M., 1903-1907; vol. 1-4. SPb., 1909). The first volume was introduced by a detailed research “Ibsen’s Life and Works”. Each play was accompanied by a critical review. 1909-1912 A. & P. Ganzen published 13 collections “Fiordy”, which included the translations of the works of 30 Scandinavian authors: L. Holberg, H. Drachman, J. V. Jensen, H. Pontoppidan (Denmark), B. Bjørnsson, K. Hamsun (Norway), A. Strindberg (Sweden), as well as the books of Scandinavian travellers. Poetry was translated by A. V. Ganzen alone: “Thousand and one Night” by H. Dranchman, “A Manhater” by  F. Schiller, “King Henry V” by W. Shakespeare.

After her husband left for Denmark in 1917 she continued her translating activity in the Soviet Russia.

I. P. Streblova