When Anton Chekhov bought the estate in Melikhovo, there was a heavily overgrown, irregular plot of land around the house. It took the Chekhovs several years to plant an orchard and a vegetable garden. Anton Chekhov wrote to his publisher Alexei Suvorin,
Anton Chekhov on the Bench
Creation period
may 1897
Place of сreation
Melikhovo, Russia
Dimensions
10,5x15 cm
Technique
photograph
Collection
1
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Anton Chekhov on the Bench
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How many trees I have planted! Thanks to our cultivation, Melikhovo is now beyond recognition and looks incredibly cozy and beautiful.
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The writer Tatiana L. Shchepkina-Kupernik reminisced,
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Anton Pavlovich spent all his time free from work and studies in the garden. He would plant, sow, coat apple trees with something white, prune roses and was proud of his garden.
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Anton Pavlovich was particularly passionate about planting flowers and trees. In his garden he was able to arrange a continuous succession of blooming. As soon as the snow melted, blue crocuses came up, followed by red tulips and bluebells. In the garden there were asters, dahlias, lilies, delphiniums, zinnias, gladioluses, mallows, but most importantly — roses. Anton Pavlovich loved roses most of all, took great care of them himself, and when he was away, he would ask about the roses in letters and provide his instructions.
Anton Chekhov wrote,
Anton Chekhov wrote,
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We have not had any rain, everything is drying up, but the garden is good, my roses are blooming wonderfully.
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Besides flowers, the writer took care of a small pond in front of the house, where in the first winter he dumped snow for more water, and later put some fish there. Rarely did any of Chekhov’s friends dare to bathe in the small, weedy pond, but there were those brave enough to do it.
Shchepkina-Kupernik wrote in her memoirs,
Shchepkina-Kupernik wrote in her memoirs,
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He showed each alley, each tree in a special light: ‘These pines look particularly good at sunset, when the trunks are quite red. The Oak of Mamre — that was what he called the old and branchy oak tree, a remnant of the old garden — you have to look at it at twilight, it’s so mysterious at that time…’
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When fruit was ripe in the garden, the Chekhovs would gather all the village children and treat them to apples, cherries, and gooseberries. Anton Chekhov wrote,
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We have so many cherries that we don’t know what to do with them. There is no one to pick gooseberries. I have never been so rich. I stand under a tree eating cherries, and it feels strange that no one is chasing me. I used to get my ears pulled for berries every day when I was a kid.
#13
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
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Anton Chekhov on the Bench
Creation period
may 1897
Place of сreation
Melikhovo, Russia
Dimensions
10,5x15 cm
Technique
photograph
Collection
1
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