Translating History
@translatinghistory.bsky.social
Finding and translating freshly declassified Russian-language documents, with a concentration on World War II, Cold War, and various Soviet/Russian misdeeds.
translatinghistory.org
translatinghistory.org
Twenty-five years ago today the nuclear submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea. One FSB official said in 2020 that the official records relating to the accident would not be declassified until 2030. We'll be there when that happens, but will keep digging until that then.
August 12, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Twenty-five years ago today the nuclear submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea. One FSB official said in 2020 that the official records relating to the accident would not be declassified until 2030. We'll be there when that happens, but will keep digging until that then.
A brief word from our translators.
August 7, 2025 at 12:17 PM
A brief word from our translators.
Recently released Russian child's letter to Stalin to show that he is sending along 64 rubles he'd been saving for skates to help buy a new submarine. He states he's aware that they are expensive, so he's telling all his friends to lend a hand to buy or construct a sub to help beat the Germans.
July 30, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Recently released Russian child's letter to Stalin to show that he is sending along 64 rubles he'd been saving for skates to help buy a new submarine. He states he's aware that they are expensive, so he's telling all his friends to lend a hand to buy or construct a sub to help beat the Germans.
"Atesh" partisans reveal Pantsir missile locations near strategically critical installations in Leningrad Oblast to assist Ukrainian forces. @ukraineworld.bsky.social
You can follow "Atesh" on their Telegram channel (t.me/atesh_ua).
You can follow "Atesh" on their Telegram channel (t.me/atesh_ua).
July 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"Atesh" partisans reveal Pantsir missile locations near strategically critical installations in Leningrad Oblast to assist Ukrainian forces. @ukraineworld.bsky.social
You can follow "Atesh" on their Telegram channel (t.me/atesh_ua).
You can follow "Atesh" on their Telegram channel (t.me/atesh_ua).
1/2 A new target for the Ukrainians in the Black Sea: Russian Project 14400 Nikolay Kamov training vessel begins factory sea trials today. The vessel was developed to train Russian Navy carrier-based helicopter crews. Equipment on board can imitate various sea conditions.
July 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM
1/2 A new target for the Ukrainians in the Black Sea: Russian Project 14400 Nikolay Kamov training vessel begins factory sea trials today. The vessel was developed to train Russian Navy carrier-based helicopter crews. Equipment on board can imitate various sea conditions.
Coming soon - 4 June 1945 Top Secret document details the first burial of the remains of Hitler, Eva Braun, Goebbels, Magda Goebbels, General Krebs, and the Goebbels children. All would eventually be exhumed several more times; this map shows the June 1945 burial site in the town of Rathenow.
July 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Coming soon - 4 June 1945 Top Secret document details the first burial of the remains of Hitler, Eva Braun, Goebbels, Magda Goebbels, General Krebs, and the Goebbels children. All would eventually be exhumed several more times; this map shows the June 1945 burial site in the town of Rathenow.
Every day I try to drop a "Happy ___day!" snap, and this one from a few years back was offered in honor of the event. Taken on Straße des 17. Juni.
I miss Berlin.
I miss Berlin.
June 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Every day I try to drop a "Happy ___day!" snap, and this one from a few years back was offered in honor of the event. Taken on Straße des 17. Juni.
I miss Berlin.
I miss Berlin.
In the coming days we will be adding some translations of documents from the declassified Top Secret archives of the Soviet space program. This particular set of documents deals with plans to send two stray dogs into space to try to set an endurance record for "living objects" in 1966. Stay tuned.
May 31, 2025 at 11:47 PM
In the coming days we will be adding some translations of documents from the declassified Top Secret archives of the Soviet space program. This particular set of documents deals with plans to send two stray dogs into space to try to set an endurance record for "living objects" in 1966. Stay tuned.
Russian Federation Navy's rusty Northern Fleet scientific research vessel VIZIR conducting unidentified "hydrographic operations" in the Barents Sea, well away from the Murmansk coast. She'll be operating there through the 25th of June.
May 31, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Russian Federation Navy's rusty Northern Fleet scientific research vessel VIZIR conducting unidentified "hydrographic operations" in the Barents Sea, well away from the Murmansk coast. She'll be operating there through the 25th of June.
"Hazardous activities" underway from 3 to 30 June off the western coast of Novaya Zemlya, prompting a massive closure of Russian territorial waters. Continued efforts to recover hundreds of sunken radioactive "treasures"? Cold War-era Soviet nuke dumping ground, after all. Or something else?
May 31, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"Hazardous activities" underway from 3 to 30 June off the western coast of Novaya Zemlya, prompting a massive closure of Russian territorial waters. Continued efforts to recover hundreds of sunken radioactive "treasures"? Cold War-era Soviet nuke dumping ground, after all. Or something else?
New Project 11711 landing ship VLADIMIR ANDREYEV launched today at Yantar Shipyard. This series of ships is the largest, in terms of displacement, built for the Russian Navy in Russia.
May 30, 2025 at 10:20 PM
New Project 11711 landing ship VLADIMIR ANDREYEV launched today at Yantar Shipyard. This series of ships is the largest, in terms of displacement, built for the Russian Navy in Russia.
Rest assured, I'm not translating literally everything I find that claims to be sensitive documents.
May 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Rest assured, I'm not translating literally everything I find that claims to be sensitive documents.
Meanwhile, Estonia is quietly scrambling to buy up as many Javelin ATGMs as they can. Because Russia is unhinged.
May 27, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Meanwhile, Estonia is quietly scrambling to buy up as many Javelin ATGMs as they can. Because Russia is unhinged.
On this date in 1984, the US Military Liaison Mission in East Germany spotted a Soviet AS-14 Kedge for the first time on a Group of Soviet Forces Germany (GSFG) Su-17 Fitter H over one of the northern Soviet bomb ranges in East Germany.
April 25, 2025 at 1:56 PM
On this date in 1984, the US Military Liaison Mission in East Germany spotted a Soviet AS-14 Kedge for the first time on a Group of Soviet Forces Germany (GSFG) Su-17 Fitter H over one of the northern Soviet bomb ranges in East Germany.
Fact-checking a deaf shitbird does little to educate the shitbird, but provides excellent talking points to those who are in the fight to keep shitbirds away from valuable things like political offices.
April 25, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Fact-checking a deaf shitbird does little to educate the shitbird, but provides excellent talking points to those who are in the fight to keep shitbirds away from valuable things like political offices.
Wow, that is some incredible power. Not surprised.
April 20, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Wow, that is some incredible power. Not surprised.
Hey, if you're in the area of Vayda Guba / Rybachiy in the Barents Sea from the 20th to the 25th of April, crane your neck to watch the Russian Navy's torpedo exercise.
I'm guessing our friends the Norwegians will be keeping tabs.
I'm guessing our friends the Norwegians will be keeping tabs.
April 19, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Hey, if you're in the area of Vayda Guba / Rybachiy in the Barents Sea from the 20th to the 25th of April, crane your neck to watch the Russian Navy's torpedo exercise.
I'm guessing our friends the Norwegians will be keeping tabs.
I'm guessing our friends the Norwegians will be keeping tabs.
For those still not keeping score.
April 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
For those still not keeping score.
From Tangle. Worth a look.
April 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
From Tangle. Worth a look.
Unveiling ceremony for the Berlin Airlift Memorial, 1951. Some 21 years later, I first stood at its base and read all of the names of those killed during joint Allied efforts to keep the city alive. In case there is any doubt, I am very much a part of Team "Fuck Russia".
February 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Unveiling ceremony for the Berlin Airlift Memorial, 1951. Some 21 years later, I first stood at its base and read all of the names of those killed during joint Allied efforts to keep the city alive. In case there is any doubt, I am very much a part of Team "Fuck Russia".
East meets West in happier times. Just a quick note to say we've uncovered a small cache of #Komsomol documents that captures discussions of #Soviet and #WestGerman students at the height of the Berlin Wall crisis. We're busily translating them and will post them soon. Stay tuned! #BerlinWall
February 20, 2025 at 11:18 PM
East meets West in happier times. Just a quick note to say we've uncovered a small cache of #Komsomol documents that captures discussions of #Soviet and #WestGerman students at the height of the Berlin Wall crisis. We're busily translating them and will post them soon. Stay tuned! #BerlinWall
Flashback from 2020. Putin has hated Ukraine forever, and has instructed his country to do the same.
February 19, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Flashback from 2020. Putin has hated Ukraine forever, and has instructed his country to do the same.