Read Chekhov and Improve your Russian

It is no secret that you need to use an integrated approach to achieve the best results in learning any language. It is not enough to learn the rules. You need to understand and feel deeply how these rules are used in the living language. Reading, listening, and speaking are of use here. How can reading Russian literature help? Let’s look at the works by Russian classic Anton Chekhov.

For reference: Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is one of the most popular and favorite Russian writers in Russia and worldwide. His works were translated into more than 100 languages. Chekhov's plays are included in the repertoire of the world's top theaters and are acted out willingly by chamber ensembles as well. Over 25 years, more than 500 short prose works, including short stories, short novels, and plays emerged from the pen of the master.

The characteristic feature of Chekhov’s prose is that his characters are ordinary people, and the events he describes can be called commonplace with full confidence.

Chekhov falls into the category of writers whose works are still relevant today.

Absolutely ordinary people, you can easily associate yourself with, face the circumstances of ordinary life, allowing for the historical context.

Chekhov's works are permeated with humanity characteristic of Russian literature in general, and that is partly why they touch the readers' hearts no matter what their first language is.

Chekhov's prose is suitable for independent study. In the texts of his short novels and stories you will find fascinating portraits of people, personality traits, observed in a masterly fashion, as well as a lot of subtle descriptions of nature and its states.

And his short humorous stories, for example, Fat and Thin, A Horsey Name, A Malefactor, Joy, can become a source of fun and a good mood.

Chekhov's works have been translated into many languages. And this can make it easier to understand the original text and work with it. You can add listening to reading by choosing an audio book or audio play.

And the last thing. Some enthusiastic students often say that they want to read Chekhov in the original as much as Dostoevsky. And this is a really good objective. However, if your level of Russian language proficiency is A-B, you had better start with more understandable, simple and short works. Fortunately, you are spoiled for choice. And then you can even get to Demons by Dostoevsky or War and Peace by Tolstoy.

In our regular RFL column, we plan to tell you about other idioms and specific rules of the Russian language, complex issues, and exercises to consolidate pronunciation and language norms as well as about literature and music that can help learn the language.

If you study Russian as a foreign language and come across some strange and/or incomprehensible linguistic phenomena, please contact us at dir@hedclub.com, and we will explain the problem in the simplest terms.