Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf, whose photo is decorated with many guidebooks in the Crimea, is a place of pilgrimage for all those who cherish Russian literature and culture. Itâs worth a visit at least to admire Pushkinâs rock and the sunset.
Chekhov in Crimea
Anton Pavlovich always adored Moscow and preferred to live in central Russia. However, in 1898, doctors recommended the writer to change the climate to a drier one, since by that time he had been suffering from tuberculosis for more than eight years.
Going to the Crimea, in Yalta, Chekhov acquired a plot of land on which he built a 2-storey house, which he called "White Cottage". In 1899, he settled there with his sister and mother. Six months later, the writer realized that he had done the wrong thing, since everyone who came to the Crimea and found out that Chekhov was living in Yalta decided to visit him. At first, this bored him, and eventually began to infuriate. This is evidenced by a letter from the writer to his brother Alexander, in which he writes that instead of giving in the Crimea for his own money, he "managed to build a prison."
Buying a Home in Gurzuf
In 1900, Chekhov began dating Olga Leonardovna Knipper, who served as an actress in the Moscow Art Theater. In this regard, he decided to purchase a small shelter, where he could hide from the annoying attention of friends and fans. Quite by accident, he found out about the sale of the Tatar hackle in Gurzuf for a lot of money at that time - 3 thousand rubles. Chekhov examined the house, and he really liked it, first of all, because of the magnificent view. And this is not surprising, since the Gurzuf Bay has long attracted people of art. In particular, it was painted by H. Bidstrup, R. Kent, I. Aivazovsky, his pupil marinist Magdesyan, and later such famous painters of the 20th century as Meshkov, Kukryniksy, Bisti and many others. In addition, she inspired Zabolotsky, Mayakovsky, Mikhail Dudin, E. Rein, B. Chichibabin.
In a letter to his sister, Anton Pavlovich enthusiastically responded about his purchase, noting that now their family owns âa whole bay in which a boat can stand ...â. The house itself was, according to him, lousy, but consisted of four rooms and large canopies.
The cottage of A.P. Chekhov in Gurzuf: history
In the summer of 1900, the first guests of the writerâs new home were his mother, sister Maria, and the family of his brother Ivan. A little later, his future wife O. L. Knipper came there, as well as Mikhail Chekhov with his wife and children. Sometimes they were visited by the older brother of Anton Pavlovich - Alexander.
In August 1900, A.P. Chekhov himself âescapedâ to his country house in Gurzuf for several days. He sought solitude to work on the first action of The Three Sisters. The writer tried not to let anyone know about his refuge, so during his lifetime almost none of his friends visited the cottage. The only exceptions were I.A. Bunin and Vera Komissarzhevskaya. In Gurzuf, Anton Pavlovich presented the actress with his famous photograph with the inscription. As for Bunin, he visited Chekhov's dacha in 1900, and also in the spring of 1901.
According to the will of the writer, drawn up on August 3, 1901, the real estate in Gurzuf after his death was to be transferred to his wife, O. L. Knipper. She loved this house very much and spent the summer there every year. The only exception was the war years. It is also known that during the Civil War, artists from the Kachalov group, who toured the south of Russia, found shelter there. Later, guests of the Gurzuf cottage were S. Richter, I. Kozlovsky and O. N. Efremov.
The last time O. Knipper came there from Moscow in 1953, and after 5 years she sold the Gurzuf cottage to the artist Meshkov. Then it was acquired by the Union of Artists of the USSR. In the perestroika years, on the initiative of O. Efremov, the house was restored in the form in which it was under A.P. Chekhov.
Exposition
The Chekhov Museum-Cottage in Gurzuf has been operating since 1996. The visitors are presented with an exhibition consisting of two parts. In one of the rooms of the house you can see personal belongings and documents belonging to Anton Pavlovich and O. L. Knipper, and in the second - with exhibits on the history of the creation of the famous play âThree Sistersâ. Photos of the prototypes of her heroes, copies of the manuscript pages, the first publication and individual editions of 1901 are presented.
Of particular interest to visitors are photographs of the premiere of the play at the Moscow Art Theater in January 1901 and its participants. In the museum you can also see the real theater props and business cards of the actors involved. In addition, some materials of the production of the play âThree Sistersâ by Nemirovich-Danchenko of 1940 are exhibited.
Exposition dedicated to friends and family members of the playwright
In 1999, the cottage-museum of A.P. Chekhov Gurzufe presented visitors with photographs, drawings, documents and other materials relating to the writerâs relatives. Today, you can see reproductions of portraits of Anton Pavlovich, which are made by famous artists. Among them are the works of I. Levitan, O. Braz (the canvas was commissioned by the Tretyakov Gallery in 1898), V. Serov in 1902, as well as a picture depicting Chekhov in his youth, created in 1884 by his brother Nikolai. The museum also displays rare, little-known photographs that were stored for many years in the storerooms of the playwrightâs house-museum in Yalta.
How to get there
Chekhov's cottage in Gurzuf (address: 22 Chekhov St.) is located directly on the seashore. From Yalta (from the bus station) it is easiest to get there in two ways:
- By shuttle taxi number 106 to the stop "Razvilka", then - on foot towards the promenade. You have to go about a kilometer.
- By minibus number 31b, next to Gurzuf. Get off at the final stop. Then you need to walk 200-300 m, following the tourist signs.
The cottage is open to visitors from April to early November on any day except Monday and Tuesday. Museum Phone: 36-30-05.
The cost of a full ticket is 100 rubles, and an excursion, including an examination of the memorial courtyard of the dacha and bay, costs 50 rubles.
Chekhov's cottage in Gurzuf: reviews
Many tourists who have already visited the writerâs museum believe that it is a place that is definitely worth a visit to those who spend their holidays in Yalta. First of all, tourists note the amazing atmosphere that prevails in the house and in its courtyard, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful sea views. The only drawback that can be read in the reviews left by tourists on thematic forums is that Chekhov's cottage in Gurzuf does not work on Tuesdays, and also closed a significant part of the year. It is always crowded there, so it is impossible to calmly get acquainted with all the exhibits presented.
Now you know where Chekhovâs dacha is located in Gurzuf and how to get there, so you can visit the great writer, so to speak, during a vacation in the Crimea, whose plays based on plays for more than a century have not left the stage on all continents.