In this article we will present you the life and work of Chekhov, the great Russian writer and playwright. From it you will learn about how his formation as an original author took place, about the creative heritage of Anton Pavlovich, about the personality and character of the creator of immortal works. We begin to describe the life and work of Chekhov with his biography.
The young years of the writer
Anton Pavlovich was born in Taganrog. His father, Chekhov Pavel Georgievich, was a merchant, part of the third guild. My mother's name was Evgenia Yakovlevna. This is recorded in the metric book in the cathedral church of Taganrog.
According to the recollections of the Chekhov brothers and himself, upbringing in the family was strict. A young writer studied in a classical gymnasium, helped his father and his brothers in a grocery store, and also sang in a church choir, which was organized by Pavel Georgievich. According to his father, the ownerâs eye was required in the shop, so Anton, being the most conscientious of all children, turned out to be the clerk more often than others. A live gallery of various human types, conversations, and characters passed in front of a future writer. He became an involuntary witness to various life situations, situations, conflicts. All this contributed to the fact that Anton Pavlovich early developed the knowledge of people, he quickly matured.
Moving to Moscow
My father went bankrupt in 1876, fled to Moscow from creditors, where he settled with his family. The eldest sons, Nikolai and Alexander, left to study in the capital even earlier. Anton, however, remained in Taganrog to graduate from high school. He himself earned his living, gave lessons, even sent money to Moscow for his family. So begins the independent life and work of Chekhov. During the years of study at the gymnasium, he created the drama âFatherlessâ, the work âWhat the Chicken Sang Aboutâ (vaudeville), as well as many comic short works.
Studying at the University
The life and work of Chekhov over the years from 1879 to 1884 is represented by the following events. At this time, the writer became a student at Moscow University, enrolling in the medical faculty.
At the same time, he publishes short scenes, parodies, jokes in various comic magazines (Alarm Clock, Dragonfly, Shards) under various pseudonyms (My fatherâs brother, A man without a spleen, Antos Chekhonte, Purselepetan). The first works that were published were a parody entitled "A Letter to a Scientific Neighbor," as well as "What is Most Common ..." Both works were published in 1880. After 4 years, the first book of the writerâs short stories appears, âTales of Melpomeneâ, after which in 1886 - âColorful Talesâ, in 1887 - âAt Duskâ, in 1890 - âGloomy Peopleâ.
The first recognition of readers and critics
The recognition of Russian critics did not immediately come to Chekhov, but he gained success with readers much earlier. And these critics can be understood. It was not clear what Chekhov the narrator was talking about, what purpose he was leading to, what he was calling for. At that time, his refusal to preach, his desire to solve the "big" problems in literature ("What to do?", "Who is to blame?"), As was traditionally the case in the works of Russian classics, was very unusual. However, several years after his debut as a writer, in 1887, Chekhov was awarded the prestigious Pushkin Prize for a storybook entitled "At Dusk". This was a recognition not only of him as a writer, but also of the genre in which Chekhov created. Many of his contemporaries took the stories as a story about themselves, their lives. Chukovsky, for example, said that Tolstoy seemed omniscient, but his books were about someone else, but Chekhov's story âMy Lifeâ was written as if about him, reading it as if you were reading your own diary.
Medical activity and its reflection in creativity
Having received the position of county doctor, in 1884 Chekhov began to engage in medical business.
From April to December 1890, the writer was on Sakhalin Island, which at that time became the place where Anton Pavlovich's contemporaries were serving penal servitude. It was for Chekhov a civil act, "going to the people." Anton Pavlovich in a book entitled "Island of Sakhalin" (years of creation - 1893-1894) acted as a researcher of the life of the people, flowing in conditions of exile and hard labor. Since that time, as Chekhov himself said, all of his work has been âsugaredâ. For example, in the stories âChamber No. 6,â âIn exileâ (both written in 1892), the impressions of a visit to this island were reflected. The trip significantly worsened the state of health of the writer, his tuberculosis process worsened.
Moving to Melikhovo
The life and work of Chekhov, whose brief biography we describe, continues already in Melikhovo. Chekhov in 1892 acquired this estate near Moscow. In it, he not only created his works, but also treated peasants, opened several schools for their children, a first-aid post, traveled to provinces that were seized by hunger, and also participated in the census. In this estate until 1898 Chekhov's life and work took place. The works were written "The Rothschild's Violin", "Jumpers", "The Seagull," The Teacher of Literature "," Uncle Vanya "and others.
A.P. Chekhov: life, creativity and achievements in Yalta
The writer in 1898 moved to Yalta. Here he acquired a plot of land on which he built a house. Visiting Anton Pavlovich was visited by such famous contemporaries as Maxim Gorky, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, Isaac Ilyich Levitan.
At the end of the 1880s, Chekhov created many plays for the theater, such as Leshy, Ivanov, Wedding, as well as vaudeville Anniversary and The Bear.
In 1896, not understood by the audience and actors, one of his most famous plays, The Seagull, failed. But two years later she was a resounding success in the production of the Moscow Art Theater, becoming a symbol of the new stage art. The life and work of Chekhov are closely connected with the theater at this time. The best works of the writer are also staged at the Moscow Art Theater: Uncle Vanya (in 1898), Three Sisters (in 1901) and The Cherry Orchard (in 1904). Since then, they have not left the stage in productions of theaters in various countries of the world.
Anton Pavlovich was elected an academician of fine literature in 1900, but he refused this title in 1902 (together with Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko), since the election of Gorky to the Academy was declared invalid by decree of the tsar.
Last years
Chekhov in 1901 marries O. L. Knipper, an actress who played in the Moscow Art Theater. Three years later, the writer goes to the resort of Badenweiler, in Germany, for treatment, since his health is deteriorating sharply. Here he died on June 2 (according to a new style - June 15). Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was buried in Moscow, at the Novodevichy cemetery.
What does Chekhov's biography teach us?
The biography of Chekhov is instructive: this man raised himself. His words: "You have to train yourself." In his youth, the writer was not at all the Chekhov we knew. When his wife reported that Anton Pavlovich had a mild compliant character, he told her that in fact his temper was quick-tempered and harsh, but he was used to restraining himself, since it was not proper for him to dissolve a decent person, as Chekhov believed.
The life and work of the writer are closely related. What he wrote in the works, the author tried to prove with his own life. His biography is instructive in that the writer was able to suppress rudeness and hot temper, develop softness and delicacy, which none of the writers of that time possessed. This was reflected in his work. The difference between early Chekhov (the author of parodies and feuilleton) and Chekhov of the period of 1890 is striking: over time, his creations gained nobility, classical restraint, accuracy in the expression of feelings and thoughts, dignity. Chekhov's life and work are closely intertwined.
Favorite poems, which he dedicated at the age of 23 years to Yekaterina Yunosheva, his classmate ("Last Sorry"), a year later he cited in his story "Oh, women, women! .." as an example of mediocre rhyming.
Chekhovâs transformation was manifested even in the appearance of the writer, which combined artless, typically Russian features with sophistication and deep nobility.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, whose life and work we are describing, was a very modest, tactful, and hardworking person. He was not the so-called "teacher of life" and avoided a direct conversation about aesthetics and ethics in his works. But the ennobling educational value of his books was (and, of course, continues to remain) above the influence of any passionate sermons. The writer was irreconcilable to mediocrity, vulgarity, but his courage and this intransigence were special - subtle, tactful, Chekhov's.
L. N. Tolstoy called Anton Pavlovich "artist of life." The definition of this has two meanings: means "artist" is not only a "master of the word." Chekhov painted his own life, building it from the first to the last minute as proof of a moral theorem.
Features of Chekhov's stories
As we have already said, the early stories of such a multifaceted writer as Chekhov, whose essay on life and work we briefly present in this article, are very different from others written after 1888. This boundary was not accidentally mentioned - it is considered a turning point in the work of the author we are interested in. In the early stories (Fat and Thin, Death of an Official, etc.), the comic element is dominant. The fantasy of their author, who called himself Purselepetant, Antosha Chekhonte and others, was inexhaustible and rich in vivid and unexpected funny cases, paintings, and plots. He knew how to observe them in life.
The tales of the 1890s seem to be different in tone. Skepticism, sadness, regret of the writer prevail in them, they are largely philosophical. Different poetics in the later works of Chekhov, it is expressed in the genre definition of these creations as satirical stories.
In fact, outwardly simple works are complex, they still have a feeling of inexhaustibility, of incompleteness. The authorâs position is not emphasized in them. The tone of the narrative is usually lyrical irony. With a sad grin, the writer peers into a person, recalls a beautiful, ideal life, as it should be. The main thing for Chekhov is the awakening of moral consciousness among readers, and not at all the imposition of his ideas about the world and man, literature, life.
Features of Chekhov's drama
Chekhov created his own theater, with its own special dramatic language. It was not immediately understood by contemporaries of Anton Pavlovich. His plays seemed to many not scenic, ineptly done, with lack of action, with erratic stretched dialogs, with fuzzy design of the author, etc. For example, M. Gorky wrote about âThe Cherry Orchardâ that he casts a green nostalgia on the audience for something to the unknown. Chekhov created a theater of mood: halftones, hints with "undercurrent" (Nemirovich-Danchenko) - largely anticipating dramatic searches in the 20th century.
Chronotope in Chekhov's drama
Anton Pavlovich expanded the concept of a chronotope (space and time), characteristic of classical Russian literature of the 19th century. In the works of his predecessors, the center turned out to be mainly a noble estate, peasant and noble Russia. And Chekhov introduced into the works the image of an urban man with the corresponding urbanistic attitude. The chronotope of Anton Pavlovich is the chronotope of the city. This does not mean social status, not geography, but psychology, the sensations of an urban person.
Chekhov also developed his own concept of the image of man and life - fundamentally non-heroic, everyday. In the works there are no acute conflicts, struggles, clashes. Sometimes it seems that nothing happens in them. The movement is not from one event to another, but from mood to mood.
The language of the plays is ambiguous, melodic, poetic, symbolic, which was required to create a general sense of subtext, general mood.
The value of Chekhov's work
- A book entitled "Sakhalin Island" was an art document for a contemporary author of the era.
- Chekhov was at the origins of modern tragicomedy.
- In his work, the best examples of domestic literature are presented in all varieties of small prose genres.
- Chekhov's drama has become a kind of visiting card of Russian literature in the world.
- The call that Anton Pavlovich left for us: "Take care of the man in yourself!" - forever.
- This author was not only a writer and playwright, but also a poet. The poems written during the years of study at the gymnasium reflect his life.
- Both Chekhovâs work, the best poems of which can be found in the eighteenth volume of the âComplete Works and Lettersâ, and his biography are very remarkable.
- The artistic discoveries of this writer greatly influenced the theater and literature of the 20th century. Dramatic works translated into many languages ââbegan to invariably be included in the theater repertoire around the world.
- This author managed to create new moves in the literature, significantly influencing the development of the story genre. Innovation consists in using the so-called stream of consciousness, a technique that was later adopted by James Joyce, as well as other modernist writers.
- Chekhov was the first in Russian literature who vividly demonstrated to us the image of a layman from the province, devoid of thirst for activity, broad-minded, good aspirations. Like no one else, the writer clearly showed how dangerous philistines are for society and the individual (the stories "The Teacher of Literature", "Ionych").
So, we were in general terms presented the life and work of Chekhov. We have selected the best and most interesting and instructive for you. However, we recommend that you use other sources. Chekhovâs life and work by dates can be studied in more detail if desired. There are a great many books written about this author. It is interesting to get acquainted with the correspondence of Anton Pavlovich with his wife, published in 1972 by Shchats V., Danilova S. and others, as well as the work of Gitovich N.I., created in 1986, which presents the memoirs of contemporaries about this great writer. The chronology of Chekhov's life and work can be supplemented by relying on these and other sources.