The Centenary of Anton Chekhov: A Survey of Publications

Abstract

SEER,Vol. 84, No. I, fanuaay 2006 Review Article The CentenaryofAnton Chekhov: A Surveyof Publications GORDON McVAY THE centenary of Anton Chekhov's death was widely celebrated throughout the year 2004. Conferences took place in many countries, culminating,perhaps,in the Third InternationalChekhovSymposium, 'Anton P. Chekhov as a Playwright',held in Badenweiler on 14-I8 October 2004. Chekhov'sstoriesand playsenjoyperennialpopularity. Biographiesand investigationsabound, yet criticsremainperplexed by the enigma of his personalityand of hisworks.' This articlewill considersome of the numerouspublicationsdevoted to Chekhov in recent years, including biographicalitems, assessments of his philosophical and religiousoutlook, studiesof his playsand short stories,and varioustranslations. I Many works examine aspects of Chekhov'slife (sometimes in relation to his stories and plays). Although his character and deeds are still greatly admired, the myth of Anton Chekhov as an almost Christ-like figurehasvirtuallydisappeared. The role of love in Chekhov's life, and his relationships with individual women, have been the subject of frequent critical scrutiny and (in recent years) candid revelation and sometimes prurient speculation.As a notoriouslyprivate,and even secretive,man Chekhov would presumably have preferred such topics to remain untouched. However, if any words had to be written on this theme, he might Gordon McVay is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. I So has it always been. See A. P. Chekhov. pro et contra.Tvorchestvo A. P. Chekhova v russkoi mysli kontsaXIX-nachala XX v. (1887-i9i4). Antologiia,comp., introd. and ed. by I. N. Sukhikh, afterword and notes by A. D. Stepanov, Izdatel'stvo Russkogo Khristianskogo gumanitarnogo instituta (in the series 'Russkii put"), St Petersburg, 2002, I072 pp., I,500 copies (with one illustration, indexes). See also two centenary volumes: Vek posle Chekhova. Mezhdunarodnaia nauchnaia konferentsiia. Tezisydokladov, editor-in-chief V. B. Kataev, Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet imeni M. V. Lomonosova, Moscow, 2004, 262 pp., 250 copies; ioo letposle Chekhova, ed. T. S. Zlotnikova, Izdatel'stvo Iaroslavskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta, Iaroslavl', 2004, 243 pp., 500 copies. For a recent survey of Chekhov publications, see Gordon McVay, 'Anton Chekhov: The Unbelieving Believer', TheSlavonicandEastEuropean Review,8o, 2002, i, pp. 63-I04. 84 THE CENTENARY OF ANTON CHEKHOV perhapshave smiledwith patientapprovalupon ZinoviiPapernyi's finalbook,Taina siia. .. Liubov' uChekhova.2 Papernyi's guidingprinciple is tact, a refusalto speculate,and even an unwillingness to learnthe hiddensecretsshouldthat, indeed,be possible.He recognizesthat Chekhovwas essentiallya reserved,restrained, elusive,sober,lonely andindependent person.Afterdiscussing 'Damassobachkoi' Papernyi turnstovariouswomenin Chekhov's life LidiiaMizinova,Tat'iana Shchepkina-Kupernik, LidiiaJavorskaia, ElenaShavrova, VeraKomissarzhevskaia , Lidiia Avilova,and Ol'ga Knipper-Chekhova. The critic'sdiscernmentappearsbeyond reproach.Thus, he refusesto 'blame'Ol'gaKnipper(or to speculateabouther close relationship with VladimirNemirovich-Danchenko),3 and extendspity to Lidiia Avilova's'Avilocentrism' (p. I92) and her wishfulfantasies.Zinovii Papernyirightlyperceivedthatit is betterforsomethingsto remain unknownand unsaid.Althoughhis tactfulapproachwill not satisfy those who desire every veil to be removed,it seems particularly appropriate whendealingwithAntonChekhov. Chekhov'smedicaltrainingand practice,the portrayalof doctors andillnessesinhisworks,andtheroleofscienceinforminghisworldview have attractedthe attentionof numerousscholarsand doctors. ProfessorMarkBorisovichMirskii,an eminentDoctor of Medical Sciences,retracesthesewell-trodden pathsin his monograph,Doktor Chekhov.4 ProfessorMirskiiis an enthusiastic guide,with a trustingly naivebeliefinthespecialhumaneness ofmedicineandliterature (pp.3, 59, 65, 74-75). (In his opening chapter he presentsa parade of writers whoweredoctors.) ThereisanaivetyalsoinsomeofMirskii's political and sociologicalcomments,and in his attemptsat literarycriticism (pp. 22, I23, 129-30, 136, 150, 152). He describes Chekhov as a 'materialistand atheist'(p. I74). Mirskii'slucid and sensiblebook showsa soundknowledge of Chekhov's life,lettersandworks,buthas disappointingly littletoaddtoourexistingknowledge onthissubject. Severalfurthereditionshaveappearedof the miscellany Melikhovo, whichactsasa recordoflocal,andevenparochial, Melikhovo matters 2 Zinovii Papernyi, Taina siia ... Liubov'u Chekhova, ed. E. Polotskaia, afterword by L. Rozenblium, B.S.G.-PRESS, Moscow, 2002, 334 pp., 5,000 copies (with notes and illustrations but, regrettably, no index). On p. I5I tsennogoshould be tselogo.Z. S. Papernyi (I9I9-96) was also a renowned humorist. Chekhov's humour features in the book: Zinovii Papernyi, Nesmotriani na chto. Ot Chekhova do nashikhdnei. Istorii, anekdoty smeshnyesluchai, Agraf, Moscow, 2001, 246 pp., 2,000 copies (with illustrations and bibliography). 3For speculation about the relationship between Ol'ga Knipper and Vladimir Nemirovich -Danchenko see, for instance, Liubov' Pavlova, 'Anton Chekhov: zhenatyi kholostiak', in Karavan istorii,June 2004, pp. I79-94. 4 M. B. Mirskii, DoktorChekhov, Nauka, Moscow, 2003, 238 pp., 950 copies (with notes, illustrations, index and...