Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf (photo)

Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf, photo of which is decorated with many guidebooks on the Crimea, is a place of pilgrimage for all those who take care of Russian literature and culture. Visit her at least for the sake of admiring the rock of Pushkin and the sunset.

Chekhov in the Crimea

Anton Pavlovich always loved Moscow and preferred to live in the middle zone of Russia. However, in 1898 doctors advised the writer to change the climate to a drier one, since by that time he had been ill with tuberculosis for more than eight years.

Having gone to the Crimea, to Yalta, Chekhov purchased a plot of land on which he built a two-storey house, which he called the "White Cottage". In 1899, he settled there with his sister and mother. Six months later the writer realized that he had acted incorrectly, since everyone who came to the Crimea and found out that Chekhov lived in Yalta decided to visit him. At first, it made him tired, and eventually began to lose his temper. This is evidenced by a writer's letter to his brother Alexander, in which he writes that instead of giving in the Crimea for his own money, he "managed to erect a prison."

Buying a house in Gurzuf

In 1900, Chekhov began meeting with Olga Leonardovna Knipper, who served as an actress in the Moscow Art Theater. In this regard, he decided to buy a small shelter, where he could escape from the intrusive attention of friends and fans. It was by accident that he learned about the sale of the Tatar sakly in Gurzuf for the large money at that time - 3,000 rubles. Chekhov inspected the house, and he really liked him, first of all, because of the magnificent view. And this is not surprising, since Gurzuf Bay has long attracted people of art. In particular, it was painted by H. Bidstrup, R. Kent, I. Aivazovsky, his pupil the marinist Magdesyan, and later - such famous painters of the 20th century as Meshkov, Kukryniksy, Bisti and many others. In addition, she inspired Zabolotsky, Mayakovsky, Mikhail Dudin, E. Rein, B. Chichibabin.

In a letter to his sister, Anton Pavlovich enthusiastically responded about his acquisition, noting that now their family owns "a whole bay in which a boat can stand ...". The house itself, he said, was lousy, but consisted of four rooms and large hallways.

The dacha of Anton Chekhov in Gurzuf: history

In the summer of 1900 the first guests of the writer's new house were his mother, his sister Maria and the family of his brother Ivan. Somewhat later, his future wife, O. L. Knipper, and Mikhail Chekhov with his wife and children arrived there. Sometimes they were visited by Anton Pavlovich's older brother, Alexander.

In August 1900, AP Chekhov himself "ran away" for a few days at a dacha in Gurzuf. He was looking for solitude to work on the first action of the Three Sisters. The writer tried to ensure that no one learned about his asylum, so during his life almost no friends visited the dacha. The only exceptions were IA Bunin and Vera Komissarzhevskaya. In Gurzuf Anton Pavlovich gave the actress his famous photo with an inscription. As for Bunin, he visited Chekhov's dacha in 1900, and also in the spring of 1901.

According to the will of the writer, compiled on August 3, 1901, after his death, the property in Gurzuf was to be transferred to the wife of Olga Knipper. She was very fond of this house and spent summer there every year. The exception was only the war years. It is also known that during the Civil War the artists of the "Kachalov group", who toured the south of Russia, found shelter there. Later guests of the Gurzuf dacha were S. Richter, I. Kozlovsky and O. N. Efremov.

The last time O. Knipper came there from Moscow in 1953, and five years later she sold the Gurzuf dacha to the artist Meshkov. Then it was purchased by the Union of Artists of the USSR. In the perestroika years, on the initiative of O. Efremov, the house was restored in the form in which it was under AP Chekhov.

Exposition

The museum-dacha of Chekhov in Gurzuf has been in operation since 1996. Attention to visitors is an exposition consisting of two parts. In one of the rooms of the house you can see personal belongings and documents belonging to Anton Pavlovich and OL Knipper, and in the second - with the exhibits devoted to the history of the famous play "Three Sisters". Photos of prototypes of her heroes, copies of pages of the manuscript, the first publication and separate editions of 1901 are presented.

Of particular interest to visitors are photographs of the premiere production of the play at the Moscow Art Theater in January 1901 and its participants. In the museum you can also see real theater props and business cards of the actors involved. In addition, some materials of the production of the play "Three Sisters" by Nemirovich-Danchenko in 1940 are exhibited.

Exposition dedicated to friends and family members of the playwright

In 1999, the house-museum of A. P. Chekhov Gurzuf presented visitors photos, drawings, documents and other materials relating to a close writer. Today, there you can see reproductions of portraits of Anton Pavlovich, which are made by famous artists. Among them are the works of I. Levitan, O. Braz (the canvas was written by order of the Tretyakov Gallery in 1898), V. Serov in 1902, as well as the picture depicting Chekhov in his youth, created in 1884 by his brother Nikolai. The museum also exhibits rare, little-known photographs that have been stored for many years in the storerooms of the playwright's house-museum in Yalta.

How to get there

Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf (address: 22 Chekhov St.) is located directly on the seashore. From Yalta (from the bus station) it is easiest to get there in two ways:

• On the fixed-route taxi No. 106 to the stop "Razvilka", then - on foot towards the embankment. It will take about a kilometer.
• On a fixed-route taxi No. 31b, next to Gurzuf. Get off at the last stop. Then you need to pass 200-300 m, following the tourist signs.

The villa is open to visitors from April to early November on any day, except Mondays and Tuesdays. The museum's phone: 36-30-05.

The cost of the full ticket is 100 rubles. And the excursion, including the inspection of the memorial courtyard of the cottage and the bay, costs 50 rubles.

Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf: reviews

Many tourists who have already visited the writer's museum believe that it is a place that is worth a visit to those who spend their holidays in Yalta. First of all, tourists celebrate the amazing atmosphere that reigns in the house and in its courtyard, as well as the opportunity to admire the beautiful seascapes. The only drawback, which can be read in the reviews left by tourists in the thematic forums, is that Chekhov's dacha in Gurzuf does not work on Tuesdays, and a significant part of the year is closed. There is always crowded, so it is impossible to get acquainted with all the exhibits.

Now you know where Chekhov's dacha is located in Gurzuf and how to get there, so during a holiday in the Crimea you can, so to speak, visit a great writer, plays that for more than a century have not left the stage on all continents.