44. Polovtsians: Cumans – Turkic-speaking people who battled against Kievan Russia.
45. St Alexis Cemetery: To north of Moscow.
46. You don’t need brains to have babies!: Inaccurate quotation from A. S. Griboyedov’s (1797–1829) famous comedy Woe from Wit (1823–4).
47. European Herald: Liberal monthly published 1860–1918 in St Petersburg. Devoted equally to history, politics and literature.
48. lying in a valley in Daghestan…: Reference to M. Lermontov’s poem The Dream (1841).
49. Ivan the Terrible: Lit. Malyuta Skuratov, most depraved of the oprichniki, Ivan the Terrible’s elite militia, who had total licence to torture, kill, burn and loot.
50. the Exhibition: The World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893.
The Student
Originally entitled ‘In the Evening’, ‘The Student’ was first published in the Russian Gazette, 1894, and then in the collection Tales and Stories of the same year. Evidently written in Yalta, this story was Chekhov’s favourite. When preparing this story for the 1894 Tales and Stories Chekhov introduced three significant additions: he intensified Velikopolsky’s reaction to his surroundings with the phrase ‘He peered into the surrounding darkness, violently jerked his head and asked…’; gave a clearer explanation why Vasilisa was crying; and at the end of the story strengthened the affirmation of eternity and the continuity of truth and beauty in the world.
This story is saturated with biblical allusions and quotations, of which the principal ones are given here. Commenting on the religious background to Chekhov’s difficult childhood, Ivan Bunin remarked: ‘… its only justification is that had there been no church choir and choral practice, no intimate knowledge of church services and simple believers, there would have been no “Easter Night”, no “Student”, no “Bishop” and perhaps no “Murder”…’ (I. A. Bunin, Sobranie Sochinenii, vol. 9, Moscow, 1965–7).
1. Ryurik, Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great: Ryurik (d. 879), first Varangian (Viking) prince of Russia. He established control of Novgorod and his descendants ruled Russia until 1598; Ivan the Terrible (1530–84), Tsar of Russia from 1547; Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia, 1682–1725. Westernized Russian institutions and founded St Petersburg.
2. ‘I am ready to go with Thee…’: Luke 22:33–4.
3. ‘and meanwhile the workmen…’: A distinct echo of: ‘And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself’ John 18:18.
4. ‘This man was also with Jesus’: Cf. ‘This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth’, Matthew 26:71.
5. ‘I know him not’: Luke 22:57.
6. ‘Did I not see you in the garden with Him this day?’: Cf. ‘Did not I see thee in the garden with him?’, John 18:26.
7.… he left the hall and wept bitterly’: ‘And he went out, and wept bitterly’, Matthew 26:75.
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Copyright Page
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
FURTHER READING
CHRONOLOGY
NOTE ON TEXT
PATRONYMICS
Ward No. 6 and Other Stories
The Grasshopper
Ward No. 6
Ariadna
The Black Monk
Murder
A Women’s Kingdom
The Two Volodyas
Three Years
The Student
PUBLISHING HISTORY AND NOTES
Ward No. 6 and Other Stories, 1892-1895 Page 41
