Steven Shaklan. "Center helps overcome language barrier"

Translation center betting that foreign business interest in Kyiv hasn't peaked

Steven Shaklan

Ihor Malykin had a fortunate problem: What to do with too many clients?

As co-founder of Lingo, one of Kyiv's first full-service translation agencies, Malykin was already serving high-profile foreign and domestic clients such as British Petroleum, R. J. Reynolds, Daewoo and Ukrtelekom.

Even since the 1998 crash, Malykin reports that Lingo has seen a steady increase in business, especially demand for simultaneous and consecutive interpretation.

"After some time passed," Malykin said, "we realized that we should separate translation services from interpretation services ... to provide more attention to orders for such services."

Enter the Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation.

Established last year, the Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation deals exclusively in interpretation services, leaving the document translation and production end to Lingo. Malykin continues to serve as director of both operations, although they are separately registered.

Malykin has more than nine years experience in the market and on Feb. 7, Lingo celebrated its seventh anniversary. According to Malykin, through mass-media marketing and quality service, Lingo developed name recognition, a core cadre of repeat clients, and new business through word-of-mouth.

This legacy is fueling the development of Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation as a separate entity.

The translation industry as a whole is only just emerging from an unruly, Wild-West state. At the time of Ukraine's independence, there were only a handful of translation bureaus operating in Kyiv, most of which were holdovers from the Soviet system.

Since then, an influx of foreign businesses into Ukraine has driven up demand for translation services. There are now over 30 interpretation services operating in Kyiv, not counting individuals who market themselves as interpreters. The glut of services has caused quality-control problems.

"I have a list of about 30 translation bureaus currently operating, but I can't vouch for the quality of main of them," said Tctyana Li, Direclor of the Association of Ukrainian Translators.

According to Li, many businesses that provide translation services hire language teachers or fluent speakers as translators, as opposed to those with specific certification or education in translation.

"There are many school teachers who think they can simply hire themselves out as translators," Li said. "Many large firms are concerned only with cost. They feel it is better to pay less (for an uncertified translator). I think it's better to pay a little more and receive quality."

The AUT was established in 1999 to provide standardization to the industry. It is a professional organization that offers examinations in both national and international standards, as well as support for students of translation.

Lingo joined the AUT in 1999 and Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation is currently a member.

"It is my feeling that everybody who is engaged in the translation business should pay much more attention to the development (of the regulation) of this sector," Malykin said. "That is why it was our decision to join the association ... in order to get more information on the translation industry and even to help in its development. I think there's a problem for translators in Kyiv: to develop or not to develop this profession."
"MANY FIRMS ARE CONCERNED ONLY WITH COST. I THINK IT'S BETTER TO PAY A LITTLE MORE AND RECEIVE QUALITY."
Tetyana Li, Director Association of Ukrainian Translators

Over the course of its operation. Lingo has instituted a series of quality-control standards of its own, including ISO 9002 certification, an internationally recognized set of translation procedures administered by TUV Rheinland, an indcpendent international accreditation firm.

Malykin notes that while Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation makes use of the latest in interpretation technology, using headphones, receivers and other equipment, it is really the quality of his pool of interpreters that makes Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation a market force. Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation draws on the pool of interpreters developed by Lingo over the course of its nine-year history.

"They are the best interpreters - both simultaneous and consecutive - in Kyiv," Malykin said.

Most have between 15 and 25 years of experience in interpretation or translation, as well as expertise in a given subject, like medicine, law or business. Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation offers interpretation services in 26 languages, including far-flung tongues as Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

The Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation staff consists of a small administrative department. Translators work as freelancers, minimizing overhead.

Malykin claims that business continues to grow. He boasts an impressive list of clients, including the Justice Ministry, OSCE, Tads, USAID, PricewaterhouseCoopcrs, Shell, Coca-Cola and British Petroleum.

Yet how does a translation business function in a city with very little infrastructure for international conferencing? The interminable lag on getting a five-star hotel constructed in Kyiv is just one of several indicators that Kyiv is far behind other Eastern European cities in accommodating international business.

"There is not a sufficient amount of good spaces for holding seminars or conferences," Malykin said. "There are some hotels, some business centers and that is all."

Much of Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation's business is conducted in venues such as the Hotel Rus, Hotel Kyivsky, Horizon Tower, conference halls in public buildings, or in clients' offices.

Waning foreign investment and the city's lack of conference facilities notwithstanding, Malykin is positive that Ukraine will continue to look abroad. To do so, it will need Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation's services.

"It's not so easy to do business in such an environment and maybe sometimes it's up and sometimes it's down, but to my mind, Ukraine is getting deeper and deeper into the international market," Malykin said. "Ukrainian businessmen have many more international contacts."

And while business interest can be fickle, international diplomacy is a constant. Ukrainian Center for Simultaneous Translation has handled meetings and conferences between the Ukrainian government and foreign delegations, including former U.S. Secretary of Stale Madeleine Albright and German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder.