Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a classic of world literature, a writer, a talented dramatist, a physician by training, and an academician of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. He was born on January 29, 1860, in Taganrog to the family of a modest merchant, Pavel Yegorovich Chekhov. His childhood was difficult: a strict father and numerous hardships led Anton to refer to himself and his brothers as “little convicts.”

Education and Early Works
In 1879, Chekhov entered the medical faculty of Moscow University, while simultaneously writing actively. His early works, published under the pseudonym Antosha Chekhonte, appeared in humorous magazines. His first collections—Tales of Melpomene (1884) and Motley Stories (1886)—brought him public recognition.

Visits to Odesa
Chekhov first arrived in Odesa on July 4, 1889, following a family tragedy—the death of his brother Nikolai. Over the next twelve years, he visited the city three more times: in December 1890, September 1894, and February 1901.

During his initial visits, he attended performances of the Maly Theater in the City Theater, met local writers and artists. Impressions of Odesa were reflected in his novella A Boring Story (1889) and inspired his later research into the lives of convicts on Sakhalin Island, later incorporated into Sakhalin Island.

During his second visit in December 1890, Chekhov sent books to Sakhalin schools and maintained contact with local postal offices, violating the ban on communication with political prisoners.

His third and fourth visits coincided with foreign travels and treatment in 1894 and 1901. During the last visit, he stayed at the Londonskaya Hotel, met writer Alexander Kuprin, artist Pyotr Nilus, and editor Nikolay Tsakni.

Maturity and Literary Legacy
The 1890s marked Chekhov’s creative maturity, during which he wrote masterpieces such as The Duel, Ward No. 6, The House with the Mezzanine, and The Seagull. In 1892, he bought the Melikhovo estate, where he wrote about 50 works, including Anna on the Neck, Ionich, The Man in a Case, and About Love.

In 1898, due to illness, he moved to Yalta, where he created his final masterpieces: The Lady with the Dog, In the Ravine, and the plays Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. Research by Radion Fedenev suggests that the inspiration for The Cherry Orchard came from an actual cherry orchard at the beginning of the Trade Street in Odesa.

Final Years
Tuberculosis steadily destroyed Chekhov’s health. In May 1904, he traveled with his wife to the German resort of Badenweiler for treatment, where he died on July 15, 1904, at the age of 44. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Anton Chekhov remains one of the most widely read and performed writers in the world: his plays continue to grace theater stages on every continent, and his works have been adapted for film dozens of times.