Tel:
+ 44 7808 58 50 59

About me

Russian translations and interpreting in the UK and Europe

I have been working as a free-lance translator and interpreter for banks and law firms in the City of London, New York and Moscow since 1996. My banking clients are major international banks involved in syndicated financing, IPOs and bond issues of major sovereign and corporate customers in Russia and other post-Soviet independent states. I also work for several major US and UK law firms represented in the City. Their clients comprise prominent Russian industrialists, natural resources companies and utilities, international shippers with post-Soviet connections, personalities, and some others.

I translate sophisticated documents that require comprehension of legal and financial aspects of the deal. To make sure I provide the level of work expected by my clients, I often undertake extensive research. I also translate educational material and provide interpretation for legal, accounting and banking training courses. I spend a lot of time in meetings between my clients and their clients, as well as interpreting roadshows, presentations and pitches. All this allows me to constantly update my knowledge and increase my understanding of complicated commercial and legal issues (a stint as a paralegal in a US law firm also provided me with some formal and informal training).

My clients always appreciate not only the high quality, but speed and reliability of my work. Once after completing a 48-hour translating marathon of a dozen marked-up versions of four or five different documents, my client, a partner in a law firm, put it very nicely: "I thought quality at this speed would be impossible, but you proved me wrong by turning the impossible into the unbelievable".

Do you want to know more about me?

I grew up in Moscow where I stayed till late 1980s working as a language trainer, interpreter and translator. I travelled a lot as interpreter and logistics coordinator between 1982 and 1989. (Reference Page). The most well-known thing I did in Moscow was an educational programme called "Le Francais Pour Les Petits" that I wrote and presented with a group of Russian puppeteers. I think we were the first to use muppets on Russian TV! The programme was on air three times every week, and by the end of 1988 people started to recognise me in the streets and in Moscow underground, and children sang songs that I wrote with our musicians! (this is my claim to fame…..) I also wrote a whole series of teaching support manuals that apparently are still being used in Russia.

I moved to the UK in 1989, and lived in Scotland where I operated "RedSquare", a cultural consultancy in the entertainment industry. We were involved in the Edinburgh Festival, Glasgow Year of Culture, the European Film Festival and some other fantastic projects.

Then followed work for the BBC in 1992- early 1996 as translator and editor, and then after a brief stint in a City law firm, I returned to self-employment, and this time never looked back!

Other interests:
I am a UK-qualified personal trainer, sports massage therapist, colon hydrotherapist, detoxification practitioner and nutritionist. I do some interesting work in that area (Wellbeing Now ). I also like travelling and alternative treatments, art and contemporary music.
I am married and live in Maidenhead, Berkshire.