Anton Chekhov

NAME Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Anton Chekhov is renowned for his realistic short stories and plays, which often explored themes of social class, love, and the human condition. He is considered one of the greatest playwrights of the world.

BIRTH Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in Chekhova street, Taganrog, Russia.

Birth house of Anton Chekhov. By Alexandre Mirgorodskiy - Taganrog Local Government, 

FAMILY BACKGROUND Chekhov was born into a modest family. His father, Pavel Chekhov, was a grocer and strict disciplinarian who eventually went bankrupt. His mother, Yevgeniya, was gentle and loving, traits that Chekhov greatly admired and respected throughout his life.

CHILDHOOD Chekhov’s childhood was marked by hardship. His father’s financial ruin forced the family to move to Moscow, but Anton remained in Taganrog to finish his education, living alone and supporting himself by tutoring.

EDUCATION In 1879, Chekhov moved to Moscow and enrolled in medical school at Moscow University, graduating as a physician in 1884. Despite his literary success, he practiced medicine throughout his life.

CAREER RECORD Chekhov began writing humorous sketches to support his family while studying medicine. By the late 1880s, his short stories had gained significant recognition, and he became one of Russia’s leading literary figures. His plays, initially met with criticism, later redefined drama, with The Seagull (1896) and The Cherry Orchard (1904) solidifying his legacy.

Chekhov was also a trained doctor who practiced medicine throughout most of his literary career — though he made little money from it as he treated the poor for free. He said “medicine is my lawful wife, literature my mistress.”

APPEARANCE  Chekhov was of average build, with dark hair, pale complexion and a neatly trimmed beard. He was approximately 6 feet 1¼ inches tall, which is about 1.86 meters. This height was considered quite tall for a man during the late 19th century. His spectacles added to his intellectual aura, and he often appeared in modest, functional clothing rather than the fashion of the day.

Chekhov in 1889

FASHION  Chekhov had a simple and understated style often wearing a long coat and a hat. His clothing was professional and functional, reflective of his work as a doctor and writer. He was known to favor practical over fashionable attire.

CHARACTER Chekhov was compassionate, humble, and known for his deep sense of empathy. His moral complexity is reflected in his works, which explore the nuances of human behavior without moral judgment. His dislike of cruelty and hypocrisy, along with his own modesty, marked his personality.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Chekhov possessed a sharp, dry wit, often employing humor to expose the absurdities of life. His early work leaned heavily on satire, and even his more serious plays contain moments of comedic relief.

In his one-act play "The Bear" (1888) Chekhov employs several comedic techniques:

Exaggerated physical comedy: The main character Grigory, described as a large "bear-like" man, repeatedly grabs and squeezes chairs in frustration, causing them to break. This over-the-top reaction brings humor to tense situations.

Dramatic overreactions: When the elderly servant Luka is asked to escort Grigory out, he responds with an excessively theatrical display: "Clutches at his heart... What people!... Falls into a chair Oh, I'm ill, I'm ill! I can't breathe!" This melodramatic response to a simple request creates a humorous contrast.

Witty banter and childish arguments: The two main characters, Ms. Popova and Grigory, engage in back-and-forth arguments over money that devolve into childish bickering. Their inability to resolve a simple issue and their stubborn reactions create comedic tension.

Ironic dialogue: Luka, the servant, delivers deadpan lines that are unexpectedly blunt and funny. For instance, when discussing his deceased wife, he says: "My old woman died too, when her time came. Well? I grieved over her, wept for a month, and that's enough for her." The matter-of-fact delivery of this sentiment creates humor through its unexpected brevity and lack of sentimentality.

RELATIONSHIPS Chekhov had numerous love affairs and is said to have had "a love-life of astonishing activity and complexity," with at least 33 lovers. Despite this, he remained noncommittal for much of his life. On May 25, 1901, at age 41, he quietly married actress Olga Knipper, a former lover of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.

MONEY AND FAME Though he made relatively little from his medical practice (often treating the poor for free), Chekhov earned a steady income from his writing. By the late 1890s, he had become one of Russia's most famous authors, though he maintained a modest lifestyle.

FOOD AND DRINK Chekhov enjoyed simple meals, often favoring Russian staples like bread, cheese, and fresh vegetables. He was not known for extravagant tastes in food or drink.

MUSIC AND ARTS  Imagine a man who could make you laugh and cry, often in the same sentence. A fellow who was as comfortable with a scalpel as he was with a pen. That’s Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright and short-story writer who was as much a doctor as he was a literary genius.

Chekhov's plays were like a gentle breeze, carrying you along on a wave of emotion. They weren't full of flashy action or dramatic plot twists. Instead, they were about the quiet moments, the unspoken thoughts, the subtle nuances of human relationships. It was a kind of “theatre of mood,” as some critics put it.

Chekhov started out writing stories just to make a few rubles, but as he got better and better, he started to experiment with new ways of telling tales. He wasn't afraid to challenge his readers, to make them think and feel deeply. He believed that the job of an artist wasn't to give you all the answers, but to ask all the right questions.

On October 17, 1896 the first performance of The Seagull was booed, leading Chekhov to temporarily give up writing plays. The play was revived to acclaim in 1898 by Konstantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre.

Uncle Vanya was first published in 1897, but its metropolitan premiere took place on November 7, 1899 at the Moscow Art Theatre. The initial reviews were favorable but pointed out some defects. As the staging and acting improved over successive performances, and as audiences better understood its meaning, the reviews improved

Chekhov's last play, The Cherry Orchard premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre on January 17, 1904. It is widely regarded as a classic of 20th-century theatre.

Chekhov admired the arts, particularly theatre, where many of his plays were performed. He had strong friendships with fellow literary figures such as Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky.

Chekhov played the piano and enjoyed singing. He was part of a church choir as a child, though this was compulsory rather than voluntary.

LITERATURE Chekhov revolutionized both short stories and drama, focusing on the inner lives of ordinary people and the mundane details of existence. His approach was groundbreaking for its subtlety and avoidance of clear moral lessons. He once stated, “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.”

NATURE Nature played a significant role in Chekhov’s life and works. He was particularly fond of the Russian landscape and was known to retreat to the countryside to find peace. His novella The Steppe (1888) beautifully captures his love for the Russian steppe.

PETS At his villa in Yalta, Chekhov kept a variety of pets, including dogs and tame cranes, reflecting his affection for animals and nature.

Kashtanka is an 1887 short story by Anton Chekhov about a young dog who gets lost and has adventures with a new owner before returning to her original family. The story is told largely from the dog Kashtanka's point of view. It became a popular children's story and was even made into a Russian TV movie in 1975.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Chekhov was an avid gardener, planting trees and cultivating flowers at his home in Yalta. This love of nature extended to his leisurely pursuits, though his physical activity was limited later in life due to illness.

SCIENCE AND MATHS As a trained doctor, Chekhov had a scientific mindset, often using his medical background in his literary works. His precise observations of human behavior and his rational approach to life's complexities are evident in his writing.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Chekhov was agnostic and believed in the moral improvement of society through personal responsibility. His works avoid clear-cut answers to philosophical or theological questions, preferring to explore moral dilemmas without imposing solutions.

POLITICS Chekhov was politically moderate, though his compassion for the suffering and poor was evident. His journey to Sakhalin Island in 1890 to document the lives of prisoners reflects his humanitarian concerns.

SCANDAL Despite his many affairs, Chekhov managed to avoid scandal. His private life, though complicated, was largely kept out of the public eye.

MILITARY RECORD Chekhov did not serve in the military, though his humanitarian work and travels exposed him to the harsh realities of Russian life, including the penal system.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Chekhov suffered from tuberculosis for much of his adult life, leading to frequent health crises. Despite his illness, he maintained a remarkable work ethic, continuing to write until his final days. A major hemorrhage in 1897 signaled the worsening of his condition.

HOMES Chekhov lived in several places, but his most famous residence was The White Dacha in Yalta, a house he built after his father’s death in 1898. He planted gardens and kept pets, though he often left Yalta for Moscow or travel abroad, calling Yalta his "hot Siberia."

TRAVEL Chekhov enjoyed traveling, making trips to places like Siberia and Sakhalin Island for both personal interest and research

In 1890, Chekhov undertook a grueling journey to Sakhalin Island, a Russian penal colony. The trip deeply affected him, and his subsequent writings on the harsh conditions there are among his most powerful. 

On his return journey from Sakhalin, Chekhov's ship stopped in Hong Kong, which he took an instant liking to. Chekhov was particularly impressed with Ceylon, describing it as "the place where Paradise was located." He traveled by train to Kandy and seemed to greatly enjoy his time there

After returning from Sakhalin, Chekhov made his first trip abroad to Western Europe in 1891, traveling with his publisher Alexei Suvorin. Chekhov visited major Italian sites during his European tour. After Italy, Chekhov and Suvorin settled in Nice, staying at the luxurious Beau Rivage hotel on the Promenade Des Anglais

DEATH Chekhov died on July 15, 1904, at the age of 44, after a long struggle with tuberculosis. His final days were spent in a health spa in Badenweiler, Germany. His death is often remembered for its quiet dignity, as he simply said, "Ich sterbe" ("I am dying") and drank a glass of champagne before passing.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Chekhov’s works have been adapted numerous times in film, theatre, and television. His plays are regularly performed around the world, and many of his stories have been adapted into films.

ACHIEVEMENTS Chekhov’s achievements lie in his transformation of modern drama and the short story. He stripped away melodrama and focused on the subtleties of human experience. His innovations in narrative structure and character psychology continue to influence writers and playwrights today.