Ivan Alekseevich Bunin (1870-1953) twice became a laureate of the Pushkin Prize: in 1903 and 1909. In 1909, the writer became an honorary academician of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, in 1933 he was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Chekhov met Bunin in Moscow in 1895, and the true writers’ friendship began four years later in Yalta. Anton Pavlovich was sincerely happy with Ivan Alekseevich’s company. Bunin guessed Chekhov’s mood intuitively, their thoughts often coincided. They did not feel embarrassed, sitting for a long time in each other’s company in complete silence, and broke it only to exchange short remarks and observations. But the writers also had meetings that were noisy and fun. This was the way they communicated during the Yalta tour of the Moscow Art Theater. Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky recalled how Bunin skillfully portrayed something, and Chekhov laughed to tears. Anton Pavlovich, who had an extraordinary sense of humor, did not laugh at anyone’s jokes as he did at Ivan Alekseevich’s humoresques when he was in a good mood.
Chekhov went to Italy to spend winter. At his request, while Anton Pavlovich was away, Bunin settled at the Yalta dacha with the owner’s sister and mother. He wrote a lot of poetry here, helped the women with the housework, and in the evenings made sure that they did not get bored. To Maria Pavlovna, he jokingly addressed “Amaranta”, calling himself Don Zinzaga. That was the name of the main characters of one of Chekhov’s early stories - ‘Artists' Wives’. And Anton Pavlovich himself, according to the memoirs of Ivan Alekseevich, called him Bukishon. In addition to poetry, Bunin wrote the stories ‘Pines’ and ‘Fog’ at the White Dacha. And among the poems written there, there are stanzas dedicated to the Yalta house and to Chekhov personally.
Chekhov met Bunin in Moscow in 1895, and the true writers’ friendship began four years later in Yalta. Anton Pavlovich was sincerely happy with Ivan Alekseevich’s company. Bunin guessed Chekhov’s mood intuitively, their thoughts often coincided. They did not feel embarrassed, sitting for a long time in each other’s company in complete silence, and broke it only to exchange short remarks and observations. But the writers also had meetings that were noisy and fun. This was the way they communicated during the Yalta tour of the Moscow Art Theater. Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky recalled how Bunin skillfully portrayed something, and Chekhov laughed to tears. Anton Pavlovich, who had an extraordinary sense of humor, did not laugh at anyone’s jokes as he did at Ivan Alekseevich’s humoresques when he was in a good mood.
Chekhov went to Italy to spend winter. At his request, while Anton Pavlovich was away, Bunin settled at the Yalta dacha with the owner’s sister and mother. He wrote a lot of poetry here, helped the women with the housework, and in the evenings made sure that they did not get bored. To Maria Pavlovna, he jokingly addressed “Amaranta”, calling himself Don Zinzaga. That was the name of the main characters of one of Chekhov’s early stories - ‘Artists' Wives’. And Anton Pavlovich himself, according to the memoirs of Ivan Alekseevich, called him Bukishon. In addition to poetry, Bunin wrote the stories ‘Pines’ and ‘Fog’ at the White Dacha. And among the poems written there, there are stanzas dedicated to the Yalta house and to Chekhov personally.
