The Anton Chekhov Foundation

Welcome to the website of the Anton Chekhov Foundation (UK charity No 1128310).

The Foundation was established in 2008 with the initial aim of campaigning for the long-term preservation of the remarkable dacha in Yalta which Anton Chekhov built for himself and his family at the end of his life. It was here that he wrote some of his best-known works, including the plays Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, as well as the stories “The Lady with the Little Dog” and “The Bishop”.  After Chekhov’s death in 1904, his sister Maria ensured that the interior of the house and the beautiful garden he planted were preserved exactly as they were during his lifetime.  Since Chekhov is regarded as the most important playwright of the 20th century, this is a unique site of global cultural importance.

Maria Chekhov helped opened the ‘White Dacha’ as a ‘house-museum’ after the 1917 Revolution, defended it during the Civil War, and later from Nazi occupiers.  In 1991 the museum lost its central government funding when the Soviet Union collapsed and the Crimea became Ukrainian territory.  By 2008 Chekhov’s house was in need of major restoration.  Successful campaigning by the Anton Chekhov Foundation led to Ukrainian President Yanukovych allocating state funds to pay for urgent repairs in 2010, the year of the 150th anniversary of Chekhov’s birth.  Generous support has also come from the US Embassy in Kiev.

The preservation of Chekhov’s house and garden in Yalta continues to be a major focus of the activities of The Anton Chekhov Foundation, whose long-term goal is also to honour Chekhov’s literary and humanitarian legacy through a variety of cultural and charitable projects.

Patrons: Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Frayn, Evgeny Lebedev, Prunella Scales, Tom Stoppard

Trustees: Rosamund Bartlett, Elena Michajlowska, Alexander Walsh, Isobel Walsh

News

March 21, 2012 |

New UNCLE VANYA production at The Print Room

Iain Glen stars in a new version of UNCLE VANYA by Mike Poulton. Be sure to book early to experience Chekhov's most enduring masterpiece in the intimate atmosphere of The Print Room. Directed By Lucy Bailey.

March 2, 2012 |

Construction work poses a new threat to the Chekhov House-Museum in Yalta

**ACF Press Release** 7 March 2012 In late 2011 a new threat to the integrity of the house was posed by the...

June 2, 2011 |

Awards for promotion of Chekhov’s legacy

Rosamund Bartlett was awarded with the commemorative medal “150 Anniversary of Anton Chekhov” for promotion of...