This is the first English translation of Andrei V. Fedorov’s classic 1953 text "Vvedenie v teoriiu perevoda" / Introduction to Translation Theory. Fedorov was the first to argue that translation theorizing should be based on the fact that language is the common denominator of all translation and this text offers a concise but thorough comparative overview of thinking on translation in Western Europe and Russia. The detailed annotations and substantial introduction by the leading scholar and award-winning translator Brian James Baer inscribe Fedorov’s work in the political and cultural Soviet context, highlighting the early influence of Russian Formalism on Fedorov’s thinking. This volume is a model of scholarly translation that fills a major gap in our understanding of Soviet translation theory, which will compel a re-thinking of current histories of the field. Contributing to the important work of internationalizing and generating new histories of translation studies, this volume is key reading for scholars and researchers of the history, theory and politics of translation studies, comparative literature, and Russian and Slavic studies.