Homeland of Chekhov: sights of Taganrog

😉 Greetings to regular readers and visitors of the site! Friends, Taganrog is a unique original city, the birthplace of Chekhov. Now it has grown thanks to new buildings, but the center, its old streets, architectural structures of the century before last remained, fortunately, untouched.

The people of Taganrozh, especially the indigenous people, are very jealous of their city, proud of it and loyally love it. But all the fun is in the old part of the city.

Taganrog city

First of all, Taganrog is the birthplace of Chekhov, a universally recognized classic of world literature, and this is a matter of special pride for the townspeople. In Taganrog, of course, there is Chekhov Street, the house where the writer was born has survived. This is a tiny building with a well-equipped small garden around, with flowers and shrubs, paths and benches.

In the 70s of the past century, the Chekhovs Shop Museum was opened in Taganrog – a two-storey old building made of red brick. On the first floor there is a museum-shop of Chekhov’s father with her “colonial goods”, on the second floor there are living rooms where the family lived.

Works of Chekhov and Taganrog

In one of the letters from Taganrog, Anton Pavlovich wrote that the city has an excellent location and a wonderful climate.

Describing the customs of local residents, the writer notes their advantages and disadvantages. Notices the characteristic features of his fellow countrymen, characteristic at the same time of the representatives of the population of Russia at the end of the nineteenth century, which have survived to this day.

And at the same time, all this became an object of creativity, embodied in figures and faces, sparkled with comic colors. Taganrog inhabitants, including neighbors and acquaintances, were hurt by the humorous “Wedding Salon” – the first draft of the future “Wedding”.

It seemed to them that Chekhov had insulted their city, laughed at it, trampled it into the mud; in fact, he loved him more, freeing himself internally. Impressions received in childhood, warmed and wounded in adolescence, first comprehended in adolescence, remained a reserve for a lifetime.

You can name stories and stories in which the Taganrog period was directly or indirectly reflected. These are “Marriage of Convenience”, “Man in a Case”, “Crow”, “Commoners”, “Ionych” and others. And how many priceless impressions of his Taganrog years are there in Chekhov’s prose and drama!

sights

The year of its foundation is indicated on the coat of arms of the city – 1698. Peter I was returning after the Azov campaign and saw a place on the high steep coast of the sea, suitable for a fortified area. This is how the story of Taganrog began.

The place turned out to be convenient both as a military fortress and as a trading point. For many years the city performed these functions. And the population was very diverse. The high steep coast is part of the historic center of Taganrog.

There is a port, which is still active at the present time. It was from here in 1917 that the family of Faina Ranevskaya left Russia on their own steamer (her father was a major industrialist).

House of Faina Ranevskaya

Their house is still preserved and is located at: st. Frunze, 10.

The coast is connected with the embankment by the famous Taganrog Stone Staircase with almost 200 steps. If you go upstairs along it, you can immediately get to the historical center of the city.

Narrow shady streets. Old sidewalks. One-story, fairly high houses with wide windows, front doors, cast-iron gates.

Palace of Alexander I

The house where he stayed in 1825 has survived, and then either Emperor Alexander I died or mystified death. Pushkin stayed in the same house.

From here you can go to the main street of the city – Petrovskaya (named after Peter). One- and two-story, it is still, as in the old days, pleasing to the eye. The buildings remained the same as they were in pre-revolutionary times, and possibly even long before them.

There are many shops and shops on the street. Their interior decoration allows one to guess the features and signs of a long past time of merchants, clerks, gymnasium students, cabbies, and policemen. Here is an old hotel and the pride of the Taganrozh people – the theater named after A.P. Chekhov.

Gymnasium Chekhov

In Taganrog, the building of the former male classical gymnasium, which was one of the oldest educational institutions in the south of Russia, has been perfectly preserved. A.P. Chekhov studied at the gymnasium from 1868 to 1879. Since 1975, the A.P. Chekhov Literary Museum has been opened in this building.

Monuments to Peter and Chekhov

There are three famous monuments in the city. Peter I by sculptor M. Antokolsky, monument to Alexander I (sculptor I. Martos) and A. Chekhov (1960, sculptor I. Rukavishnikov). By the way, Chekhov was directly related to the installation of the monument to Peter I.

While in Paris, he successfully negotiated with the sculptor. Then he wrote a letter to the mayor, in which he outlined his vision of the installation of the monument. Chekhov notes that in his opinion, it is impossible to imagine a better monument for the city.

The love of the writer for his hometown is clearly traced. Respect for its history, concern for the future of the townspeople, for the cultural heritage that will be donated to future generations of Taganrog residents.

The letter clearly sets out Anton Pavlovich’s recommendations to the mayor regarding the location of the monument near the sea. The issues of remuneration of the sculptor are also discussed.

The monument to the writer stands facing an ancient structure reminiscent of pre-revolutionary trading outlets in a semicircle with brick windows and an entrance. It is located in a small park lined with acacias. Taganrog is a city of acacias. Trees bloom in May, and then the wind blows dry white and pink inflorescences along the sidewalks.

You can still talk a lot about this city on the shore of the warm, shallow, whitish at dawn sea, merging on the horizon with the same pale sky. This is how many vacationers who come here in the summer months see it.

Over the past 30-40 years, Chekhov’s homeland has acquired the unofficial status of a resort. There are a lot of people on its beaches, thanks to the dry climate, the abundance of fruits, vegetables and fish. Unfortunately, not all beaches are comfortable yet. Hopefully in the future this problem will be solved successfully.

😉 Friends, leave feedback about visiting Taganrog in the comments to the article “Chekhov’s Motherland: Taganrog attractions”. Thanks!