Schiller Shakespearevich Goethe: little-known facts about Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Russian writer was born on January 29, 1860 Anton Pavlovich Chekhov … For 25 years of creativity, more than 300 works came out from under his pen, which became part of the golden fund of world literature. Despite a serious illness that "ate" him for many years, Chekhov was remembered by his contemporaries as an incredible optimist with a great sense of humor. Some little-known facts from the biography of the writer - further in the review.

When looking at the photographs and portraits of Chekhov, one gets the impression that the writer was not tall. His haggard and tired appearance is explained by tuberculosis, which killed Chekhov for many years. Meanwhile, Anton Pavlovich's height was 2 arshins and 9 vershoks, which by today's standards is 182 cm. In his youth, friends called the writer a “Russian hero”.

Chekhov worked as a "literary slave" for almost five years. His humorous stories were published in various magazines without publication of authorship. Later Chekhov began to use pseudonyms. The most famous of them is, of course, Antosha Chekhonte. Few people know that the writer had more than fifty pseudonyms. Under his works, readers could see such signatures as Uncle, Champagne, Schiller Shakespearevich Goethe, Man without a spleen, Zevul. Despite so many fictitious names, none of them caught on. In world literature, the writer remained known as Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

In 1899, Nicholas II signed a decree conferring the title of a hereditary nobleman to the writer "for excellent diligence and special work." Chekhov built three schools and practiced medicine. In addition, the royal family really liked the work of the writer. Chekhov, grinning, refused this favor. His family was from serfs, the writer's grandfather managed to redeem his freedom for himself and his children.

Chekhov never suffered from a lack of female attention. It was said that he often visited Sobolev Lane, which can be dubbed Moscow's red-light district. Yes, and fans sent letters to the writer with declarations of love and looked for a meeting with him. Biographers dubbed such young ladies "Antonovs".

Chekhov was married only once. Actress Olga Knipper became his chosen one in 1901. True, their family life was more like a novel in letters, because at that time the writer's health deteriorated, and he had to move to Yalta, and his wife remained in Moscow.

Chekhov addressed his wife in letters rather peculiarly. He could call her "actress", "my goofball", "my dog", but at the same time there was a lot of tenderness in his messages. Sometimes Anton Pavlovich was jokingly offended: "Don't forget the writer, don't forget, otherwise I'll drown myself here or marry a centipede."

Three years after his marriage, in 1904, Chekhov's health deteriorated so much that, at the insistence of the doctors, he had to go abroad to Badenweiler (Germany). Olga Knipper later recalled the last minutes of the writer's life. Chekhov woke up in the middle of the night and asked to bring him a glass of champagne. Then he solemnly said to the doctor in German: "Ich sterbe", and to his wife he repeated: "I am dying." He drank champagne, turned over on his left side and died a short time later.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ranks first among Russian classics in terms of the number of adaptations. More than 200 films have been filmed based on his works. Literally in each of his creations you can find life reflections and advice that are relevant to this day.