author
Rissa Yachnin
1900–1981
A meticulous librarian and bibliographer, she helped English-language readers trace the publication history of major Russian writers. Her reference works on Turgenev and Chekhov remain a quiet but valuable part of literary scholarship.
1 Audiobook
Turgenev in English : a checklist of works by and about him
by Rissa Yachnin, David H. Stam
About the author
Rissa Yachnin (1900–1981) was a librarian associated with the Slavonic Division of The New York Public Library. Her work focused on Russian literature and on making its English-language publishing history easier to navigate.
She is best known for compiling Turgenev in English: A Checklist of Works by and About Him with David H. Stam, published by the New York Public Library in 1962. She also compiled Chekhov in English: A Selective List of Works by and About Him, 1949–1960, reflecting her careful, research-driven approach to literary bibliography.
Although little detailed biographical information about her is readily available, Yachnin’s published reference works show a lasting commitment to helping readers, librarians, and scholars discover Russian literature in English.