The eldest son in the family of Pavel Yegorych and Evgenia Yakovlevna Chekhov, Alexander Chekhov, was born in the middle of the nineteenth century, on August 22, 1855. He signed his works with the pseudonym A. Sedoy.
Misail Poloznev became his prototype in Anton Chekhov’s short story My Life. Like Alexander, Misail challenges his behavior to the circle in which he lives. If we impartially examine the life of Alexander, then even for the end of the nineteenth century, who had seen all Russian reality, it seems unusual.
Chekhov Alexander Pavlovich: biography
After studying at the Taganrog gymnasium and receiving a silver medal, he enters the University of Moscow at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, writes short stories and is published in popular magazines. By the way, the future genius writer Anton Chekhov owes his brother literary activity to his brother. Alexander attaches Anton to the magazine, and he returns to Taganrog, from where his father escaped, fleeing creditors.
In his hometown, Chekhov Alexander Pavlovich serves in customs, thereby causing confusion among family members. He himself dreams of a family, of a clean, kind relationship, adores children and at the same time twice marries women who do not meet his dreams.
His first wife was Anna Sokolnikova, who was eight years older than him and had three children and a ban from the church (since she was divorced) for second marriage. But this did not bother her; the woman had free outlooks on life.
The second wife was Natalia Ipatieva, who served as her governess, had a sick mother and sister with starving children, who unsuccessfully married the artist Putyatin.
Alexander Chekhov had to take care of all this.
Childhood
Parents were believers, strict morals. They did not openly show their love, especially father. Alexander grew up a difficult child, wayward and moody. Behind him was born Nikolai - a sickly, scrofulous child. Feeling that she was pregnant again, Evgenia Yakovlevna gave Alexander her younger sister an indefinite time for education, and in the first half of 1859 she went for pilgrimage to the monasteries.
After so many prayers of his mother, Anton Pavlovich became a reward for his parents, and Alexander Chekhov was out of the house. Although Fedosya Yakovlevna (her mother’s younger sister) lived in the neighborhood, the boy still felt divorced from his relatives.
In the shop
The story of Chekhov Sr. about the holidays with his grandparents describes in detail his childhood and Anton. The way they had to deny themselves the usual pastime for children. Their peers were resting after the gymnasium, went to visit each other, played in the courtyard of the house, and the brothers were forced to "stick around" in their father's shop, selling goods. Pavel Egorovich believed that this would discipline them and teach them life, but the boys hated the shop. Chekhov in his novel “Three Years” describes in detail his childhood and feelings that he experienced.
Chekhov Alexander Pavlovich for his short life in which only adventures did not get involved. He was a vegetarian, was fond of photography, rode a bicycle, studied foreign languages, loved birds. Forty birds lived in his room, whirling freely in it, then he also bred elite chickens, made watches from moss, boiled linoleum from newspapers, added gas to milk ...
He participated in social activities, built hospitals for alcoholics (being himself an alcoholic) and shelters for the mentally ill.
Conclusion, sunset of life
381 letters of an older brother to Anton were printed. Alexander understood early that literature was not his path, but in letters to his brother he was free, wrote about everything he was thinking about, doing it aptly and talentedly. Letters, in turn, are historical value for all people who are not indifferent to the great writer A.P. Chekhov and his family.
The death of Anton was a great shock for Alexander. Alexander Chekhov devotes his stories about childhood to his brother. Alexander himself dies nine years after Anton. He died in 1913.
At one time, he was popular among compatriots not only for his works of art, but also for his works devoted to the fight against alcoholism, the treatment of the mentally ill in St. Petersburg, and for many other works.
His son from his second marriage, Mikhail Chekhov, became a famous Hollywood actor who instilled the Stanislavsky system in America. Michael idolized his father, his erudition, knowledge not only in literature, but also in medicine, chemistry, and even in matters of philosophy.
Alexander Chekhov endured many trials in life, it seemed that he should bend from failures and adversities, but he was a large, lively man, extravagant, with a loud voice, which was loved by children and animals.