_ MOSCOW,
       December 2, 1891.
       I am writing to ask you a great favour, dear Nikolay Alexandrovitch. This is what it is. Until last year I have always lived with my university diploma, which by land and by sea has served me for a passport; but every time it has been _vise_ the police have warned me that one cannot live with a diploma, and that I ought to get a passport from "the proper department." I have asked everyone what this "proper department" means, and no one has given me an answer. A year ago the Moscow head police officer gave me a passport on the condition that within a year I should get a passport from "the proper department." I can't make head or tail of it! The other day I learned that as I have never been in the government service and by education am a doctor, I ought to be registered in the class of professional citizens, and that a certain department, I believe the heraldic, will furnish me with a certificate which will serve me as a passport for all the days of my life. I remembered that you had lately received the grade of professional citizen, and with it a certificate, and that therefore you must have applied somewhere and to someone and so, in a sense, are an old campaigner. For God's sake advise me to what department I ought to apply. What petition ought I to write, and how many stamps ought I to put on it? What documents must be enclosed with the petition? and so on, and so on. In the town hall there is a "passport bureau." Could not that bureau reveal the mystery if it is not sufficiently clear to you?
       Forgive me for troubling you, but I really don't know to whom to apply, and I am a very poor lawyer myself....
       Your "Medal" is often given at Korsh's Theatre, and with success. It is played together with Myasnitsky's "Hare." I haven't seen them, but friends tell me that a great difference is felt between the two plays: that "The Medal" in comparison with "The Hare" seems something clean, artistic, and having form and semblance. There you have it! Literary men are swept out of the theatre, and plays are written by nondescript people, old and young, while the journals and newspapers are edited by tradesmen, government clerks, and young ladies. But there, the devil take them! ... _

Biographical Sketch
To His Brother Mihail (July 1, 1876)
To His Cousin, Mihail Chekhov (May 10, 1877)
To His Uncle, M. G. Chekhov (1885)
To N. A. Leikin (October, 1885)
To A. S. Suvorin (February 21, 1886)
To D. V. Grigorovitch (March 28, 1886)
To N. A. Leikin (April 6, 1886)
To Madame M. V. Kiselyov (June, 1886)
To His Brother Nikolay (1886)
To Madame M. V. Kiselyov (January 14, 1887)
To His Uncle, M. G. Chekhov (January 18, 1887)
To His Sister (April 2, 1887)
To V. G. Korolenko (October 17, 1887)
To His Brother Alexandr (November 20, 1887)
To D. V. Grigorovitch (1887)
To V. G. Korolenko (January 9, 1888)
To A. N. Pleshtcheyev (February 5, 1888)
To I. L. Shtcheglov (April 18, 1888)
To A. S. Suvorin (May 30, 1888)
To A. N. Pleshtcheyev (June 28, 1888)
To His Sister (July, 1888)
To His Brother Mihail (July 28, 1888)
To N. A. Leikin (August 12)
To A. S. Suvorin (August 29, 1888)
To A. N. Pleshtcheyev (September 30, 1889)
To A. S. Suvorin (February 23, 1890)
To N. M. Lintvaryov (March 5, 1890)
To A. S. Suvorin (March 9)
To I. L. Shtcheglov (March 22, 1890)
To A. S. Suvorin (March 22, 1890)
To His Sister (April, 1890)
To Madame Kiselyov (May 7, 1890)
To His Sister (May 14, 1890)
To A. S. Suvorin (May 20, 1890)
To His Sister (May 28, 1890)
To His Brother Alexandr (June 5, 1890)
To A. N. Pleshtcheyev (June 5, 1890)
To N. A. Leikin (June 5, 1890)
To His Sister (June 6, 1890)
To His Mother (June 20, 1890)
To N. A. Leikin (June 20, 1890)
To His Sister (June 21, 1890)
To A. S. Suvorin (June 27, 1890)
To His Sister (June 29, 1890)
Telegrams To His Mother
To A. S. Suvorin (September 11, 1890)
To His Mother (October 6, 1890)
To A. S. Suvorin (December 9)
To His Sister (January 14, 1891)
To A. F. Koni (January 16, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (January 31, 1891)
To Madame Kiselyov (March 11, 1891)
To His Sister (March 16. Midnight)
To His Brother Ivan (March 24, 1891)
To Madame Kiselyov (March 25)
To His Sister (March 25, 1891)
To Madame Kiselyov (April 1, 1891)
To His Sister (April 1, 1891)
To His Brother Mihail (April, 1891)
To His Sister (April 21, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (May 7, 1891)
To L. S. Mizinov (May 17, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (May 18, 1891)
To L. S. Mizinov (June 12, 1891)
To His Sister (June, 1891)
To Madame Kiselyov (July 20, 1891)
To His Brother Alexandr (July, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (July 24, 1891)
To E. M. S. (September 16)
To A. S. Suvorin (October 16, 1891)
To Madame Lintvaryov (October 25, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (October 25, 1891)
To E. M. S. (November 19, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (November 22, 1891)
To N. A. Leikin (December 2, 1891)
To E. P. Yegorov (December 11, 1891)
To A. I. Smagin (December 11, 1891)
To A. S. Suvorin (December 11, 1891)
To A. I. Smagin (December 16, 1891)
To A. N. Pleshtcheyev (December 25, 1891)
To V. A. Tihonov (February 22, 1892)
To A. S. Kiselyov (March 7, 1892)
To I. L. Shtcheglov (March 9, 1892)
To A. S. Suvorin (March 17, 1892)
To Madame Avilov (March 19, 1892)
To A. S. Suvorin (March, 1892)
To Madame Avilov (April 29, 1892)
To A. S. Suvorin (May 15, 1892)
To L. S. Mizinov (March 27, 1894)
To His Brother Alexandr (April 15, 1894)
To A. S. Suvorin (April 21, 1894)
To Madame Avilov (July, 1894)
To A. S. Suvorin (August 15, 1894)
To His Brother Mihail (October 15, 1896)
To A. S. Suvorin (October 18, 1896)
To His Sister (October 18, 1896)
To His Brother Mihail (October 18, 1896)
To A. S. Suvorin (October 22, 1896)
To E. M. S. (November, 1896)
To A. F. Koni (November 11, 1896)
To V. I. Nemirovitch-Dantchenko (November 26, 1896)
To A. S. Suvorin (January 11, 1897)
TO A. I. Ertel (April 17, 1897)
To Suvorin (July 12, 1897)
To Madame Avilov (October 6, 1897)
To F. D. Batyushkov (December 15, 1897)
To A. S. Suvorin (January 4, 1898)
To F. D. Batyushkov (January 28, 1898)
To A. S. Suvorin (February 6, 1898)
To His Brother Alexandr (February 23, 1898)
To His Brother Mihail (October 26, 1898)
To Gorky (December 3, 1898)
To A. S. Suvorin (January 17, 1899)
To His Brother Mihail (February 6, 1899)
TO I. I. Orlov (February 22, 1899)
To Madame Avilov (March 9, 1899)
To Gorky (April 25, 1899)
To O. L. Knipper (September 30, 1899)
To G. I. Rossolimo (October 11, 1899)
TO O. L. Knipper (October 30, 1899)
To Gorky (January 2, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (January 2, 1900)
To A. S. Suvorin (January 8, 1900)
TO P. I. Kurkin (January 18, 1900)
TO V. M. Sobolevsky (January 19, 1900)
TO G. I. Rossolimo (January 21, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (January 22, 1900)
To F. D. Batyushkov (January 24, 1900)
To M. O. Menshikov (January 28, 1900)
TO L. S. Mizinov (January 29, 1900)
To Gorky (February 3, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (February 10, 1900)
To A. S. Suvorin (February 12, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (February 14, 1900)
To Gorky (February 15, 1900)
TO V. A. Posse (February 15, 1900)
To A. S. Suvorin (March 10, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (March 26, 1900)
To His Sister (March 26, 1900)
TO O. L. Knipper (May 20, 1900)
To His Sister (September 9, 1900)
To Gorky (October 16, 1900)
To S. P. Dyagilev (December 30, 1902)
To A. S. Suvorin (June 29, 1903)
To S. P. Dyagilev (July 12, 1903)
To K. S. Stanislavsky (July 28, 1903)
To Madame Stanislavsky (September 15, 1903)
To K. S. Stanislavsky (October 30, 1903)
TO V. I. Nemirovich Danchenko (November 2, 1903)
TO A. L. Vishnevsky (November 7, 1903)
To K. S. Stanislavsky (November 10, 1903)
To F. D. Batyushkov (January 19, 1904)
To Madame Avilov (February 14, 1904)
To Father Sergey Shtchukin (May 27, 1904)
To His Sister (Sunday, June 6, 1904)