Melikhovo Estate

Not far from the city of Chekhov in the Moscow Region is the famous estate Melikhovo — one of the most important museums dedicated to the great Russian writer and playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The writer purchased this estate in 1892 and spent here seven of the most productive years of his life together with numerous relatives. It was within these walls that works were created which became part of the golden treasury of world literature. Today the museum-reserve preserves an exceptionally rich collection numbering more than 30,000 exhibits. Among them are the writer’s personal belongings, his famous pince-nez and hat, manuscripts and autographs, rare books, and paintings by artist friends. The estate grounds carefully preserve the atmosphere of the late 19th century, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the era when Chekhov’s immortal masterpieces were created.

The history of the Melikhovo estate before and after Chekhov

Owners of the estate before the writer’s arrival

The history of the estate began long before Anton Pavlovich appeared here. In the 18th and the first half of the 19th century, Melikhovo belonged to the landowning families of the Chufarovskys and the Naumovs. In the second half of the 19th century, the estate passed to the Kuvshinnikov and Sergeev families, who owned two separate estates on this territory. Unfortunately, both of these estates were later lost. From 1888, the estate was occupied by the artist and theatrical set designer Nikolai Petrovich Sorokhtin. He decorated the main house like a theatrical set but was almost not engaged in хозяйственной activity. By the time Chekhov decided to purchase the estate, it was in a neglected condition. Sorokhtin was urgently leaving abroad and needed money, so he sold the property cheaply. Notably, Chekhov bought the estate from an advertisement, without even inspecting it beforehand.

Seven years of creativity and service to people

Having long dreamed of life in the countryside, Anton Pavlovich enthusiastically took up the improvement of the estate. Over the years of ownership, the Chekhov family transformed it beyond recognition: a picturesque garden and park appeared, a pond with the humorous name “Aquarium”, a vegetable garden that the writer called “The South of France”, and several new buildings. Chekhov led active public work in the surrounding area. At his own expense, he built three schools in neighboring villages and took part in the construction of a post office and roads. Having a medical education, the writer performed the duties of a zemstvo doctor, receiving peasants from nearby settlements every day. Treatment was completely free, and Anton Pavlovich prepared the necessary medicines himself with the help of his brother Mikhail, assisted by his sister Maria. Medicinal herbs were specially grown in the garden to prepare mixtures and drops. When a cholera epidemic began in the southern regions of Russia, Chekhov organized two medical stations in Melikhovo. In the summer of 1892 alone, he personally examined about a thousand patients. When consultations began, a special flag was raised on a flagpole above the outbuilding, signaling that the doctor was receiving patients.

The literary legacy of the Melikhovo period

Despite his medical practice and public work, which Chekhov considered even more important than literary activity, it was in Melikhovo that the finest works of Russian drama and prose were created. Here, under shady trees and surrounded by a loving family, the writer created more than 40 works, including the immortal play “The Seagull,” the drama “Uncle Vanya,” the novellas “My Life” and “Ward No. 6,” and the short stories “The Man in a Case,” “Gooseberries,” and “About Love.” In 1897, Anton Pavlovich’s health sharply deteriorated due to progressive tuberculosis. Doctors forbade him to remain in Melikhovo during the cold season. The writer began spending winters and autumns in Yalta, coming to his beloved estate only in summer. In 1899, before his final move to Crimea, Chekhov sold the estate to the manufacturer S. N. Konshin, who owned it until 1908. The last owner of Melikhovo before the 1917 Revolution was Baron N. D. Stewart.

Architectural ensemble and attractions of the estate

The main house and memorial outbuilding

The central building of the estate is a one-story main house built in the 1840s. Despite its compact size, it accommodated the large Chekhov family. The house was fully restored in the 1960s with preservation of the historical interior. Judging by the furnishings, the Chekhovs tried to live simply, despite Anton Pavlovich’s fairly good income. The walls are decorated with numerous photographs, including a portrait of Leo Tolstoy — the writers maintained friendly relations. However, the calling card of the estate became not the main house, but a small outbuilding designed by the famous architect Fyodor Osipovich Shekhtel in 1894. Originally planned as a guest house, this remarkably beautiful little building captivated the writer so much that he settled in it himself. It was here that “The Seagull” was written, and later Chekhov said: “My house, where The Seagull was written”.

Service buildings and the medical station

On the estate grounds, the kitchen outbuilding built in 1894, a bathhouse, and a fire shed from the 1890s have been preserved. In the kitchen, the atmosphere of 19th-century peasant life has been recreated to this day. Of special interest is the building of the “Ambulatory”, transferred to the estate from one of the neighboring villages where Chekhov practiced medicine. In one of the rooms, the interior of a provincial doctor’s office of the late 19th–early 20th century has been precisely recreated; a modern medical station even operates there. Chekhov jokingly called the group of service buildings the “Naive Courtyard”. Here one can see sleighs and everything necessary for the carriage in which Anton Pavlovich made visits to patients in nearby villages.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ

On the territory of the rural cemetery in 1757, landowner A. Naumov erected a wooden Church of the Nativity of Christ. The bell tower was built at Chekhov’s expense and according to his design, but was later dismantled. After the fire of 1994, the church now appears to visitors in a fully restored form.

Museum exhibitions and collections

Main exhibitions of the museum-reserve

The State Literary and Memorial Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov was opened in 1940 after the estate had been restored. Today the museum includes several main exhibitions: Chekhov’s personal rooms, those of his sister Maria and his father, the study and dining room in the main house, the memorial outbuilding where “The Seagull” was created, the kitchen outbuilding, the bathhouse, the old medical station, the Melikhovo school, and the fire shed. The museum’s collection numbers more than 30,000 exhibits: Chekhov relics, a collection of painting and graphics, rare books. Many items were donated by the writer’s relatives — his favorite inkwell and pen, pince-nez and hat, autographs, and lifetime editions with author’s inscriptions. A separate part of the exhibition consists of illustrations to Chekhov’s works created by the Kukryniksy artists. The theatrical and exhibition hall houses works by Anton Pavlovich’s brother, Nikolai Chekhov, a well-known illustrator.

Branches of the museum-reserve

The museum complex includes several remote exhibitions. Two exhibitions are located in the building of the Melikhovo school built by Chekhov. One recreates the interior of a schoolteacher’s apartment, the other presents a rural school classroom at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. Another Chekhov school is located in the village of Novoselki, where the literary exhibition “In the World of Chekhov’s Characters” is displayed, telling about the writer’s era and the prototypes of the characters in his works. In the city of Chekhov, the Museum of Anton Chekhov’s Letters operates in the building of the former post and telegraph office of the Lopasnya station. The exhibition is dedicated to the history of postal service and includes Chekhov’s letters, mailbags, antique stamps, and scales. Also in Chekhov is the Lopasnya-Zachatievskoye estate museum — an architectural monument of the 17th–19th centuries associated with the descendants of Alexander Pushkin.

Walks around the estate grounds

The park and picturesque corners

A walk around Melikhovo will bring true pleasure to lovers of literature and Russian nature. In front of the museum building, visitors are greeted by a monument to the writer in an unusual form — without his famous pince-nez. Behind the theatrical and exhibition hall begins an alley leading to the ambulatory and then to the main house of the estate. Chekhov gave humorous names to various places on the estate, which have been preserved to this day. One can see the “Aquarium” pond, the “South of France” vegetable garden, walk along the Alley of Love and the Lilac Alley, and climb Levitan’s Hill, named after the great artist Isaac Levitan, who visited Chekhov. On the grounds are a stable, a monument to the writer’s beloved dachshunds, an old well, and an unusual pillar with a bell. This bell rang every day exactly at noon, calling everyone to lunch, and was used to set the time. Near the ambulatory there is a “pharmacy garden” with medicinal herbs used to prepare remedies. The estate also has a meteorological station with modern and antique equipment, for which separate excursions are conducted.

Guests of the estate in Chekhov’s time

Anton Pavlovich loved to receive guests at his estate. Melikhovo was visited by outstanding figures of Russian culture of that time: artists Isaac Levitan and Nikolai Chekhov, writer and journalist Vladimir Gilyarovsky, director Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, and many other famous people. All of them gladly spent time in the company of the hospitable host, enjoying the quiet and tranquility of the Moscow countryside.

Modern cultural life of the museum

Theater and interactive programs

Since 2006, the estate has had its own “Chekhov Studio” theater. The repertoire includes plays not only by Chekhov, but also by other classical and contemporary playwrights — both adult and children’s productions. Every week, the estate hosts “Theatrical Saturdays,” when actors perform several mini-plays throughout the day. A children’s studio for young lovers of the performing arts operates at the theater. Interactive programs, workshops, and weekend programs dedicated to literature, peasant life, and folk toys have been developed for children. Visitors can explore the exhibitions independently, use an audio guide, or book a guided tour with a professional guide.

Festivals and holiday events

Throughout the year, the estate becomes a venue for various cultural events. In spring, the annual “Melikhovo Spring” theater festival is held, bringing together theater groups from all over the country. Christmas, Maslenitsa, and other important holidays are traditionally celebrated in accordance with ancient customs. The “Chekhov’s Dachshunds” festival is especially popular, uniting lovers of this dog breed from across Russia. It is known that Chekhov greatly loved dachshunds and kept them in Melikhovo. Visitors can also ride horses and play croquet on the estate — a favorite game of the 19th-century nobility.

Practical information for visitors

Opening hours and ticket prices

The Melikhovo museum-reserve is open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. The ticket office is open until 16:45. Monday is a day off, and the last Friday of each month is a sanitary day. An admission ticket costs 100 rubles; entry is free for preschool children. Tickets for theatrical performances are purchased separately.

How to get to the Melikhovo estate

The estate is located 80 kilometers from Moscow along the Simferopol Highway in the Chekhov District of the Moscow Region. By car, you need to exit the highway following the sign to Melikhovo near Novoselki — the travel time will be less than an hour and a half. By public transport, the journey will take about two hours. From the Lesoparkovaya metro station, take bus No. 365 to Chekhov. You can also take a suburban train from Kursky Railway Station to Chekhov. In Chekhov, transfer to bus or minibus No. 25 (direction Nerastannoye) and get off at the Melikhovo village stop.

The significance of the estate in Russia’s cultural heritage

The Melikhovo museum-reserve is a unique monument of Russian culture, where literary creativity, medical practice, and public service of the great writer are organically intertwined. Melikhovo left an indelible mark on Anton Pavlovich’s life, as his wife Olga Knipper-Chekhov wrote: “He loved Melikhovo so much and was attached to it with all his great poetic soul.” A visit to the estate allows not only acquaintance with the writer’s biography, but also immersion in the atmosphere of the era when masterpieces of Russian literature were created. Every room of the main house, every corner of the park breathes the spirit of Chekhov’s time. Here one can imagine how the writer worked on his works, received patients, met with friends, and enjoyed rural life. Today Melikhovo continues to live a rich cultural life, attracting lovers of Russian literature, theater, and history from all over the world. The estate remains a place of inspiration and a source of understanding of the creative legacy of one of the greatest Russian writers.