- Chekhov Gymnasium
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Chekhov Gymnasium
The Literary Museum named after Anton ChekhovЛитературный музей им. А.П.Чехова
Chekhov Gymnasium in 2006Established 1809(as gymnasium), 1975(as museum) Location Ulitsa Oktyabrskaya 9, Taganrog Collection size Expositions related to Anton Chekhov's school years, theater plays by Chekhov (memorabilia, photographs) Director Yevgeniya Petrovna Konopleva
Коноплева, Евгения ПетровнаPublic transit access Spartakovsky Station (Street cars: 2,3,5,8,9) The Chekhov Gymnasium in Taganrog on Ulitsa Oktyabrskaya 9 (formerly Gymnasicheskaya Street) is the oldest gymnasium in the South of Russia. Playwright and short-story writer Anton Chekhov spent 11 years in the school, which was later named after him and transformed into a literary museum. Visitors can see Anton's desk and his classroom, the assembly hall and even the punishment cell which he sometimes visited.
Contents
History of the school
The Boys Gymnasium was founded in 1809 and this building was completed in 1843 by the plans of the Italian architect Francesco Boffo. Students of the Boys Gymnasium benefited from various grants, most of them being introduced by the Greek-Russian merchant and benefactor Ioannis Varvakis (1745–1825). In mid 1870s a school church was made in the same building, and the cross may be seen on some old postcards.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the following Civil War, the building housed a cavalry school (6th Cavalry College), frequently visited by Semyon Budyonny, Klim Voroshilov and Efim Shadenko.
During the Occupation of Taganrog in 1941-1943 used by the Germans as Sicherheitsdienst headquarters.
In 1975 opened as The Literary Museum named after Anton Chekhov, more commonly known under the short name Chekhov Gymnasium.
January 29, 2010 President of Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev held a meeting with representatives of the Russian and foreign theatrical communities in Taganrog at the stateroom of the Chekhov Gymnasium literary museum.[1][2]
School years of Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov attended a school for Greek boys in Taganrog (1866-1868), and at the age of eight he was sent to the local grammar school (Gymnasium) where he proved an average pupil. Rather reserved and undemonstrative, he nevertheless gained a reputation for satirical comments, for pranks, and for making up humorous nicknames for his teachers. He enjoyed playing in amateur theatricals and often attended performances at the Taganrog Theatre. As an adolescent he tried his hand at writing short "anecdotes," amusing or funny stories, although he is also known to have written a serious long play at this time, "Fatherless," which he later destroyed. He received an annual grant of 300 rubles which had been introduced by the Taganrog City Council after the failed assassination attempt on the tsar Alexander II of Russia.
After the business of Anton Chekhov's father failed, the whole family left for Moscow in 1875-1876. Anton was left in Taganrog to care for himself and finish school. The future world-famous playwright survived selling off household goods and tutoring younger school students at the Boys Gymnasium. In 1879, Chekhov passed his final exams and joined his family in Moscow, where he had obtained scholarship to study medicine at the Moscow University.
The maths rating on Chekhov's school-leaving certificate was signed by Edmund Dzerzhinsky, father of the revolutionary Felix Dzerzhinsky. Dzerzhinsky gave lessons of mathematics in two of Taganrog's gymnasiums - the Girls Gymnasium of Empr. Maria (Мариинская женская гимназия) in 1868-1873 and in the Boys Gymnasium from 1873 until late seventies. Another contemporary instructor was Fyodor Pokrovski (Федор Платонович Покровский), who taught Chekhov theology and gave him the famous nickname Antosha Chekhonte (Антоша Чехонте).
Other famous graduates
- Nikolay Chekhov, artist
- Mikhail Chekhov, writer
- Alexander Chekhov, writer
- Nikolay Sherbina, poet
- Ivan Martos, sculptor
Alexander Leonidovich Vishnevsky, Russian and Soviet actor
- Valentin Parnakh, poet, founder of the Soviet Jazz music
- Konstantin Savitsky, artist
- Vladimir Bogoraz, anthropologist and writer
- Samuel Maykapar, composer
- Sergey Dmitrievich Balukhatiy, bibliographer, academic
- Nikolay Apollonovich Belelyubski, scientist, famous designer of bridges
- Alexander Korsun, writer
- Osip Notovich, writer
Andrei Grechko, Soviet general, Marshal of the Soviet Union (graduate of the Cavalry College)
Ivan Golubets, the first Hero of the Soviet Union in the Black Sea Fleet
- Zinoviy Vysokovskiy, actor
- Sergey Zvantsev, writer
- Victor Dyomin, Soviet cinema critic, editor, writer
Kuzma Galitsky, Soviet army general
Boris Rivkin, Soviet mayor-general of aviation
Ivan Kupin, Soviet mayor-general
- Vladimir Dvorkovich international chess arbiter, chairman of the judge board of Russian Federation, father to Arcady Dvorkovich
Old and Modern Views of Gymnasium
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Anton Chekhov statue at the entrance of the gymnasium.
Museum
Today the Gymnasium is open to public as The Literary Museum named after Anton Chekhov (Литературный музей А.П.Чехова). After the famous Pushkin House museum in Saint Petersburg, this is the second-largest literary museum in Russia both in terms of space and unique funds. The exhibition includes the library that consists of the antique books of the time and books later sent by Anton Chekhov, his personal belongings, photographs, documents, autographs by Chekhov and other famous people - friends of the writer.
Inside the museum
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Chekhov's seat in the boys gymnasium. On the left is an original maths test checked by Anton Chekhov's mathematics teacher Edmund Dzerzhinsky.
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Memorabilia related to Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard play
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Memorabilia related to Anton Chekhov's play The Wedding
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Memorabilia for Chekhov's Three Sisters (play)
References
- Taganrog Encyclopedia (Энциклопедия Таганрога), 2nd edition, Taganrog, 2003
- История города Таганрога, П.П.Филевский, Москва, 1898
- По старой Греческой, Н.Гаврюшкин, Таганрог, 2003
- ^ President Medvedev's Opening Remarks at Meeting with Representatives of the Russian and Foreign Theatrical Communities in Taganrog.
- ^ The President of Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev participated in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the great Russian writer Anton Chekhov in the writer's home city of Taganrog
See also
Coordinates: 47°12′54″N 38°55′17″E / 47.215°N 38.92139°E
Landmarks and tourist attractions in Taganrog, Russia Museums Alferaki Palace · Taganrog Museum of Art · Birthhouse of Anton Chekhov · Taganrog City Architectural Development Museum · Ivan Vasilenko Museum · Chekhov Gymnasium · Anatoly Durov Museum · Chekhov Shop ·
Monuments Peter I Monument in Taganrog · Alexander I Statue in Taganrog · Chekhov Monument in Taganrog · Monuments to Chekhov's Heroes · Garibaldi Monument · Great Patriotic War Monuments · Lenin Monument in Taganrog · Monument to Defenders of Taganrog in 1855 · Ranevskaya MonumentRelated to Anton Chekhov or Chekhov family Birthhouse of Anton Chekhov · Chekhov Gymnasium · Taganrog Theatre · Chekhov Shop · Alexandrovskiye Trade Rows · Greek Church and Greek School · Gorky Park (Taganrog) · Chekhov Monument in Taganrog · Peter I Monument in Taganrog · Chekhov LibraryChurches St.Nicholas Church in Taganrog · The All-Saints Church in TaganrogDestroyed landmarks The Assumption Cathedral in Taganrog · Greek Monastery in Taganrog · Greek Church and Greek School · House with Bullets · Old Stone Steps · Taganrog Fortress · Taganrog Old PrisonHistorical buildings or mansions Alexander I Palace · Avgerino mansion · Mariinskaya Gymnasium · Shakhmatov House · Tchaikovsky House in Taganrog · Taganrog Old Station · Country CourtOther Related articles Categories:- Taganrog
- Educational institutions established in 1809
- Museums in Russia
- Schools in Russia
- 1843 works
- Gymnasiums (school)
- Anton Chekhov
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