Category Archives: Circle of Friends

Levitan Meets Tolstoy

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Serge Gregory

Among the unpublished memoirs at the Tretyakov Gallery archive, I came across an interesting anecdote about how Levitan once met Tolstoy, albeit very briefly. In the late 1880’s Levitan was living, on and off, in a furnished room in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Circle of Friends | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

State Archive of Literature & Art

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Serge Gregory

After a series of e-mail exchanges, the staff of RGALI (the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art) has let me know that the documents I’ve requested are being set aside for me and will be available when I make … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Circle of Friends, Jewish Themes | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Levitan’s Women

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Serge Gregory

With my departure for Moscow less than two weeks away, I’m finishing up translating all of Levitan’s published letters to ensure that I don’t overlook anything that should be followed up from sources in the Russian State Library or archives. … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Circle of Friends | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crocodile! Крокодил!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Serge Gregory

The very first morning at Babkino, the country estate where he spent the summer of 1885, Chekhov set out to place one of the fish traps he brought from Moscow carefully tied to the back of a cart. As he … Continue reading →

Posted in Circle of Friends | Tagged , | 1 Comment

What Attracted Chekhov to Levitan?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Serge Gregory

As a medical student grounded in science and the practical world, Chekhov wasn’t by nature enamored of artists. He had the example, close at hand, of his brother Nikolai who squandered his life through dissipation and indifference to his talent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Circle of Friends, Konstantin Korovin, Moscow School of Painting | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Why “Antosha and Levitasha”?

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Serge Gregory

They sound like affectionate nicknames, and they are. Given the formality of salutations in 19th century Russia, the fact that Chekhov and Levitan used these diminutives when writing and talking to each other reveals much about the closeness of their … Continue reading →

Posted in Circle of Friends | Tagged | Leave a comment