Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated) (562 page)

St. Peter’s fast: the fast from Trinity until St. Peter’s day, June 29 (Julian Calendar); depending on when Trininty fell, the fast could last from 8 days to 6 weeks

faire le carriére
: make your career

Karpovna: using the nurse’s patronymic by itself shows both intimacy and respect

Shakespeare’s Polonius: in
Hamlet

Gogolesque pig faces: many extravagant fantasies occur in Gogol’s works

Baty: Batu, the nephew of Genghis Khan, led the Mongols in their conquest of Russia in the 13th century

Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness: Luke 16:9

kvass: a slightly fermented drink made from black bread and malt

gendarmes: the political police

pepper cordial: vodka laced with pepper

Order of Vladimir: Russian award founded by Catherine II in 1782

vegetarian: followers of Tolstoy, among others whose loyalty to the government was questioned, were vegetarians

watchman striking on a sheet of iron: to let thieves know that the watchman was actively on duty

St. Thomas’s week: first week after Easter

Petchenyegs: Pechenegs were a savage, marauding Turkic tribe during the 9th-11th centuries; synonymous with savage or barbarian

barked the limetrees: stripped off the bark to make shoes with

village elder: the elected leader of the
mir
(village commune)

Flagellant: member of a religious sect that arose in the 17th century; they repudiated priests and much of the Orthodox Church, and tended to favor clean, white clothes

clack, clack, clack: blah-blah-blah

forties or the sixties: in the 1840’s there was a romantic, high-minded movement; in the 1860’s the nihilist and radicals predominated; both were times of intellectual ferment in Russia

862: the year in which Ryurik and his brothers became the leaders of the Russian tribes, according to legend

big loaf and a gilt salt cellar: traditional Russian welcome ceremony was the giving of a loaf of bread and salt

winter: Russians put on second window-frames in fall and remove them in spring

receipt: recipe

sugar: sugar was expensive

Kleopatra of Egypt: Cleopatra (69 B. C. - 30 B. C.) was the ruler of Egypt and mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony

stove: the long, flat Russian stove held its heat for a long time after being used for cooking; in winter the top of the stove was a desirable place to sleep

exhibition: the World’s Columbian exposition in Chicago in 1893

King David: Biblical king of the Hebrews who ruled c. 1000 B. C.

Ostrovsky or Gogol: Aleksander N. Ostrovsky (1823-1886), Russian playwright; Nikolay V. Gogol (1809-1852) was a famous Russian novelist and playwright

Kings: a card game for 4 players in which the player to take 9 tricks becomes “king”

Chekhov’s monument in Serpukhov

LETTERS OF ANTON CHEKHOV TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS

WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Translated by Constance Garnett

CONTENTS

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

LETTERS TO HIS BROTHER MIHAIL.

TO HIS COUSIN, MIHAIL CHEKHOV.

TO HIS UNCLE, M. G. CHEKHOV.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO D. V. GRIGOROVITCH.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO MADAME M. V. KISELYOV.

TO HIS BROTHER NIKOLAY.

TO MADAME M. V. KISELYOV.

TO HIS UNCLE, M. G. CHEKHOV.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO V. G. KOROLENKO.

TO HIS BROTHER ALEXANDR.

TO D. V. GRIGOROVITCH.

TO V. G. KOROLENKO.

TO A. N. PLESHTCHEYEV.

TO I. L. SHTCHEGLOV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO A. N. PLESHTCHEYEV.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO HIS BROTHER MIHAIL.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO A. N. PLESHTCHEYEV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO N. M. LINTVARYOV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO I. L. SHTCHEGLOV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO MADAME KISELYOV.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO HIS BROTHER ALEXANDR.

TO A. N. PLESHTCHEYEV.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO HIS MOTHER.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO HIS MOTHER.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO A. F. KONI.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO MADAME KISELYOV.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO HIS BROTHER IVAN.

TO MADAME KISELYOV.

TO HIS SISTER,

TO MADAME KISELYOV.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO HIS BROTHER MIHAIL.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO L. S. MIZINOV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO L. S. MIZINOV.

TO L. S. MIZINOV.

TO THE SAME.

TO HIS SISTER.

TO MADAME KISELYOV.

TO HIS BROTHER ALEXANDR.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO E. M. S.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO MADAME LINTVARYOV.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO E. M. S.

TO A. S. SUVORIN.

TO N. A. LEIKIN.

TO E. P. YEGOROV.