Anton Chekhov: Portrait of a Modern Storyteller

Known to be the father of the modern short story and the modern play, Anton Chekhov rose from humble beginnings as a peasant boy in a small town to become one of Russia's most influential writers. He began writing because his family needed money, but his work proved to have a lasting impact on literature internationally.

Early Life

Anton Chekhov was born in January of 1860 to Pavel and Evegenia Chekhov in the seaport town of Taganrog near the border between Russia and the Ukraine. He was the third of six children. His father Pavel was the son of a former serf. He was deeply religious but was also known for beating Anton and his two older brothers Alexander and Nicolai. At the age of eight, Anton was sent to a local grammar school. When young Anton was not in school, he was forced to work long hours at his father's store. As a teenager, Anton began writing short stories and anecdotes and even a long play called "Fatherless" which he later destroyed. His father's business failed in 1875, and Pavel traveled to Moscow to find work where Anton's two older brothers were already attending the university. Evgenia and the three younger children joined him in July of the following year, leaving Anton in Taganrog to finish school. Without the store to tend and his father's beatings, Anton's performance in school improved. Pavel found work in a clothing warehouse in 1877, and Anton joined the family in 1879 after passing his final exams.

Anton Chekhov: The Writer

Chekhov entered Moscow University with a scholarship to study medicine. While in school, he began publishing hundreds of short stories to support himself and his family. His earliest work was short comic pieces that he published in weekly papers in St. Petersburg. In the summer of 1884, he received his medical degree and began practicing medicine. Late that year, his health started to decline as he began to show symptoms of tuberculosis.

By 1886, Chekhov was becoming a well-known writer in St. Petersburg. He already published a collection of stories with the second called Motley Tales to be released that year. While some of his stories continued to have comic themes, his plots soon became more serious. His first publication in a serious literary journal was published in The Northern Harold. The story was called "The Steppe" about a boy's journey across the plains of Russia with his merchant uncle and a local priest. In 1888, he received the Pushkin Prize for his collection of stories called In the Twilight. After 1888, he did not write as many stories, but the ones he wrote were higher in quality. Chekhov made his debut writing plays in 1887 with his four-act drama Ivanov.

The year 1890 was difficult for the Chekhov family. Chekhov's brother Nicolai died of tuberculosis. Later that year, his play called The Wood Demon was rejected by two theaters and was closed after three performances at another. In 1892, Chekhov and his family moved to a country estate at Melikhovo south of Moscow, where they stayed until 1899. As a landowner, Chekhov remained on good terms with the peasants. He gave them free medical care, paid for the building of schools and organized measures against the cholera epidemics of 1892 and 1893. His experience with these peasants influenced stories he wrote about peasant life like "Peasants" and "In the Ravine."

In late 1895, he wrote The Seagull, a play with no starring role and became less dramatic with each act. It debuted in October of the following year at the Alexandrine Theater in St. Petersburg, and it was a disaster. Later performances were received better, but the play still closed after five performances. Chekhov was so upset that he vowed never to write plays again.

Health problems in early 1897 forced him to stop writing and cut back on other activities. He sought a more favorable climate for his health and because he wanted to continue his writing. He found a place called Nice on the French Riviera. There he was contacted by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, co-founder with Constantin Stanislavsky of the Moscow Art Theater. Nemirovich-Danchenko loved The Seagull and convinced Chekhov to let him produce it during the group's first season. In December 1898, Chekhov received a telegram while he was in Yalta informing that the Moscow Art Theater performed The Seagull and it was a success. In 1899, Chekhov submitted his play Uncle Vania, a rewrite of The Wood Demon, to the Moscow Art Theater. It became a success after its first performance.

Final Years

In May 1901, Chekhov married Olga Knipper, an actress in the Moscow Art Theater. The marriage was not always a happy one, and they spent a great deal of time apart. Anton, because of his health, remained in southern Russia, and Olga, with her acting, spent most of her time in Moscow. His health continued to decline during the following year. He began working on his last story "A Marriageable Girl" and the first draft of The Cherry Orchard. He finished the play in October and sent it to Moscow so they could begin rehearsal. At this point, his health became even worse, and he was irritable with everyone. He was furious with Stanislavsky's and Nemirovich-Danchenko's misinterpretations of his play. He traveled to Moscow and insisted on being involved with preparations and rehearsals, revising The Cherry Orchard along the way. When it premiered January 17, 1904, it was an immediate success.

In the spring, his doctor sent him to a spa in Germany with his wife. His health seemed to improve for most of June. However, on June 29, he had a heart attack. He recovered only to have another one the next day. He died on July 2, 1904.

Anton Chekhov is remembered as one of Russia's most treasured storytellers. His influence went beyond the boundaries of Russia inspiring such authors as James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka and Raymond Carver. Chekhov's work continues to influence directly and indirectly writers today.