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The Birth of Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov was born in Taganrog, Russia on 01/29/1860. He was the third of six children to Pavel Yegorovich Chekhov(ran a grocery store) and Yevgeniya Chekhov. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anton-Chekhov -
Emancipation reform of 1861
In 1861 Russia enacted a very important liberal reform that abolished serfdom through out the kingdom of Russia. This meant that millions of people were able to gain rights they didn't have available before. This had a grand impact in their society and economy. There were many economic challenges and the rise of new social classes. As a child Chekhov witnessed these changes where he would take inspiration for his work that reflected similar themes. https://shorturl.at/flyN2 -
Early Childhood
Growing up was very difficult for Chekhov. His father was physically abusive and strict, which is why he is considered the origin of his son's hypocrisy. Although he describes his childhood as "suffering," there were some exceptions. One of those being Chekhov's mother, who would tell stories to the kids about her adventures. This likely had a big influence on Chekhov from a young age and can be a reason for his eagerness to become a playwright. https://shorturl.at/cdeO4 -
Crisis
A major turning point occurred in 1875 when Chekhov's father's business failed, and he was threatened with imprisonment. Due to this event, he fled alone to Moscow, where two of his children had already begun their studies. With the house being repossessed and nowhere else to go, Yevgeniya and her younger children also fled to Moscow a bit after Pavel had, leaving Chekhov to finish his studies. https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html -
Life living alone
While his father continued to look for work in Moscow, Chekhov for the next three years lived off by selling his family's possessions and working as a private tutor for young boys. During this time, he also had multiple jobs to be able to afford his education, such as working in a clothing warehouse, selling birds, and sell some sketches he would make. https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html -
Moscow University
After completing his studies in Taganrog, he was admitted to Moscow university with a scholarship to study medicine. During Chekhov's time there, he received a comprehensive education in the medical sciences, which would help him incorporate it into his work. Besides learning about medicine he also gained lots of experience. A new environment with new people and ideas would later help his literary works. https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html -
Ivanov
Although Anton Chekhov authored many successful plays, he also had a few that didn't meet his expectations at first. One example is "Ivanov," a drama Chekhov wrote in 10 days. The first performance in 1887 was such a failure that Chekhov, disgusted and disappointed, made alterations to the script. After the revision was completed, Chekhov planned for it to be preformed in St. Petersburg in 1889, where it went on to become a success. -
Brothers Death
Nikolai Chekhov was a very talented artist who, unfortunately, was an alcoholic. This caused him not to finish his studies, but he often illustrated for his brother, Anton Chekhov. In 1989, tuberculosis claimed his life. This helped inspire Chekhov's "A Dreary Story." -
Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy is considered to be one of the most influential writers of all time. He inspired many to write, including Anton Chekhov. In 1895, when Chekhov was 35 and Tolstoy 67 they finally met in person. Even before they met, Anton Chekhov had taken lots of influence from Tolstoy. Leo Tostloy was known for exploring the most diverse approaches to human experience. This helped Cvhekhov by creating the framework for his literacy style and to better understand complex phycological issues.. -
Relocated
Chekhov and his family purchased a country estate in 1892. Their new home would be located in Melkikhovo in Moscow District where they would remain as residence until 1899. During Anton's time there he would keep the peasants of the area in good conditions by helping with any medical problems. He would also finance many education centers and organizations. This many interactions and time spent with the peasants would end up influencing his depiction of peasant life, helping his future work. -
Olga Knipper
Besides being known as Anton Chekhov's wife, Olga Knipper herself had a very succesful career. She was a talented actress and a member of the Moscow Art Theatre. She had many collaborations with Chekhov and premiered in some of Chekhov's biggest works, such as "The Seagull," "Uncle Vanya," "Three Sisters," and "The Cherry Orchard." Although the stories themselves were great, Knipper also did an excellent job interpreting the characters and bringing out their emotions. -
The Seagul
Anton Chekhov had written many plays and one of his most famous ones was "The Seagull" written in 1895. And a year later would be preformed in Alexandrinsky Theatre. This tragicomedy follows artists of different generations with conflicts and the tragic gap between their dreams and reality. Due to the play's success it marked not only a pivotal moment in Chekhov's life but also a lasting influence on the development of Russian and international theatre. https://shorturl.at/cmX14 -
Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya is a realistic drama that revolves around the story of a characters at a rural estate especially Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky who wasted his life managing his brother-in-law Professor Serebryakov's estate. Their lives are disrupted when the professor and his young wife, Yelena, visit, bringing tensions and conflicts to the surface. This play is really able to show and explore universal themes. "Uncle Vanya" dives deep into human emotions, relationships, and the flaws of characters. -
Konstantin Stanislavski
One of Anton Chekhovs biggest influences was Konstantin Stanislavski. Stanislavski was a very famous actor and director in Russia. He had acted in Anton's plays and directed them. During that time Chekhov was able to learn from Konstantin Stanislavski on how to improve his writing and characters. Stanislavski's had an effect on Anton to form and create realistic, emotionally resonant characters and stories. Stanislavski's work would help him as a playwright, and led to many future successes. -
The Lady with the Dog
Known as one of Chekhov's best short stories, due to its romantic and realistic story. "The Lady with the Dog" describes an affair between Dmitri Gurov (banker) and his wife Anna Sergeevna Von Dideritz, who go through an adulterous affair. This story is timeless due to its themes of love and exploration of illicit love and personal transformation. Although its more celebrated as a short story more than a play, there have been multiple adaptions of "The Lady with the Dog" on stage. -
Three Sisters
"Three Sisters" is written by Anton Chekhov in 1900 and is often mentioned as one of his best works. It was produced just a year later due to its compelling story. This drama follows the the lives of the Prozorov sisters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—who aim to return to their former life in Moscow. The play does an amazing jobs portraying the deep character development they undergo and exploring humanistic themes. https://stageagent.com/shows/play/873/three-sisters -
Mariage
On 25 May 1901, Chekhov married Olga Knipper. He was 41 years old, and at the time Chekhov had a already established himself as a well known playwright, while she was his former protegee. -
The Cherry Orchard
Known as his last piece of work, The Cherry Orchard was about an aristocratic Russian family who were forced to sell their estate, including its famous cherry orchard, to pay off their debts. The Cherry Orchard was a story that would be performed in 1904 a few months before Chekhov's death. Chekhov's goal with this story was to symbolize beauty and change. The Cherry Orchard is considered as a revolutionary story due to its complex characters, realism, and ability to show the social changes. -
The Death of Anton Chekhov
While traveling in Germany and believed to be recovering from tuberculosis, he died at the age of 44. The same tuberculosis that had claimed his brother's life also took his own.
https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/anton-chekhov -
After his Death
After Chekhov's death, many began depicting his life and its impacts in literature. Raymond Carver's "Errand" depicted Chekhov's last moments with his wife, Olga, and the immediate aftermath.
https://blog.pshares.org/the-prophecy-of-raymond-carvers-errand/ -
Quote
"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice." This quote is one of my favorites from him. Although this quote has been expressed in many different ways by others, I like it because you should be able to share the gift you have with others. Knowledge only holds significance and value when it is used practically in the real world. -
Cite
https://www.sparknotes.com/drama/cherryorchard/#:~:text=The%20Cherry%20Orchard%20is%20a,social%20change%20and%20generational%20conflict. https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/anton-chekhov https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anton-Chekhov https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/love-in-the-time-of-numbness-or-doctor-chekhov-writer https://www.sparknotes.com/drama/unclevanya/characters/ -