The artist Maria Drozdova was a close friend of Maria Chekhova, the writer’s sister. The girls studied together at the Stroganov Art Courses in Moscow. Maria Drozdova always got a warm welcome in the Chekhovs’ house; she could stay at Melikhovo from one week to two months. The artist reminisced,

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov had a warm and friendly attitude toward the girl, and helped her financially.

For the 50th anniversary of the writer’s death, thr “New World” magazine published Maria Drozdova’s memoirs about the country life of Anton Chekhov and his family. These memories, as well as Drozdova’s letters to Maria and Anton Chekhov, reveal the attitude of a devoted, kind friend who always admired the writer’s talent and the beauty of his soul. Maria Timofeevna signed her letters to Chekhov in various ways, often echoing the humorous nicknames given to her by Anton Pavlovich with no offense meant: Udodova, Filinova, Marusya. Sometimes the letters, which Chekhov did not reply to, were signed “Loving you Timofeevna”.

In her memoirs Drozdova wrote about a touching story of her younger brother, an eleven-year-old boy, giving Chekhov a present,

In the years when Drozdova stayed in Melikhovo for a long time, she often went out with Maria Pavlovna to make sketches. The paintings of both artists depict the Melikhovo estate at the time when the Chekhov family lived there.