The English Inosmi: The Russophere vs. The Russian Spectrum

Another day, another Internet project.

Or more specifically, reviving an old project – the “English Inosmi” concept of translating articles and blog posts from the Russian media for a Western audience. The only problem was that I was perpetually dissatisfied, even if at a subconscious level, with the name: RossPress*. An elementary problem which I had somehow overlooked was that the double “s” is simply incorrect. And “RosPress.com” is already taken.

But apart from that, I was focusing my efforts not so much on translation, as on getting funding. Which isn’t all that easy for some random guy with a blog. It’s much easier if you also have a random NGO, but setting up said NGO is quite a lengthy procedure. So while that’s in process I thought I might as well restart work on the site and even offer a few translations. At the least, it would tie in well with The Russia Debate**.

russian-spectrum-poll

But I still need a good name for it.

The RussoSphere: Solid, distinctive name – less than 2,000 Google hits on it, amazingly. Logo can be of a “sphere” with images of Russian newspaper front pages wrapped around it.

The Russian Spectrum: Another solid name that sounds respectable as a newspaper name, while at the same time alluding to its mission – translations from a wide variety of ideological viewpoints***.

Right now I’m slightly leaning towards The RussoSphere.

* Sorry Craig.

** You don’t know what is The Russia Debate? It’s a forum for discussing Russian politics and history. Come, comment, conquer!

*** Unlike the recent “Interpreter mag,” which as Nils van der Vegte rightly points out might as well call itself “The Interpreter of Novaya Gazeta.”

Anatoly Karlin is a transhumanist interested in psychometrics, life extension, UBI, crypto/network states, X risks, and ushering in the Biosingularity.

 

Inventor of Idiot’s Limbo, the Katechon Hypothesis, and Elite Human Capital.

 

Apart from writing booksreviewstravel writing, and sundry blogging, I Tweet at @powerfultakes and run a Substack newsletter.

Comments

  1. AlexBond says

    I’m not overly impressed by either of two names proposed, but The Russian Spectrum sounds nicer, and could be conveniently abbreviated to Russpec.

  2. I vote Russian Spectrum. As far as funding goes, I would look around for possible grants. I would imagine that there is some funding available to do something like this. Maybe even from Russia? Translating is a time consuming and costly endeavor, but it is a much needed one. In regard to the Interpreter Mag, when Michael Weiss told me he was doing a translation site, I was expecting a wider variety. I don’t know what I was thinking considering its a project of the Modern Russia Institute. Call me naive. Nevertheless, any translations of the Russian press are welcomed given their sheer dearth.

    I do trust that you will provide a wider breath of articles and would be a great asset if it gets running. I don’t know what I can do to directly help, but if there is anything I can do, shoot me an email.

    • Thanks, Sean.

      BTW, (and @mls13), The Russian Spectrum it is. I was leaning towards the Russosphere until I thought: “What would it sound like if it was called the Francosphere? Or the Anglosphere?” Fucking stupid, that’s what it would sound like. So I immediately switched to TRS.

      There’s actually a lot of issues as regards funding and all that which are too long to go into detail here. As you suggest – and I’m genuinely happy to see you’re interested – I’ll drop you an email.