[[The first most complete and verified with the originals collection edited by M. P. Chekhov.] Letters of A. P. Chekhov.

[[The first most complete and verified with the originals collection edited by M. P. Chekhov.] Letters of A. P. Chekhov.
M. Knigoizdatelstvo pisatel v Moskvy, 1912-16. - XXIV, 365, [1] p.; XVI, 489, [7] p.; 1 L. portr. under tracing paper, XII, 375, [5] p.; XXIV, 538, [2] p.; 1 l. portr. under tracing paper, XV, [1], 511, [5] p.; X, 429, [9] p. Publisher's cover, standard format (15 x 22 cm). The covers are worn and dirty, have tears, bends, minor losses, rare temporary and household stains; amateur restoration of the covers [paper]; blocks are beveled; the owner's signature on the titles; in volume I, neat notes in the margins with a simple pencil; Volume V has significant traces of moisture, enclosed two pages from an unknown edition; second-hand bookstore markings on the backs of the covers.

[The first independent publication of Chekhov's letters appeared in the "Petersburg Diary of a Theater-goer" of July 11 and 18, and November 14 and 28, 1904. These were letters to A. N. Pleshcheev, prepared for publication by the poet's son A. A. Pleshcheev.

During 1904-1910, Chekhov's letters continued to appear in various newspapers and magazines.

In 1909, the collection "Letters of A. P. Chekhov. Collected by B. N. Bochkarev" — the first attempt to collect and publish a separate book of the letters of A. P. Chekhov, scattered in different publications. Some of the letters were received by Bochkarev from the recipients of Chekhov and published for the first time. In total, the collection includes 325 letters and excerpts from letters. Torn, in some cases, out of the context of memories, often without dates or any notes, these passages were sometimes completely incomprehensible to the reader.

Following the collection published by Bochkarev, in 1910 appeared the "Collection of letters of A. P. Chekhov" edited and with comments by V. Brender. This includes 168 emails. This book mainly contains letters that are not included in the collection of Bochkarev or are not fully printed in it. As stated in the preface, "for the first time or in a revised form", 41 letters are printed here. The second collection was better compiled than the first, but it also contains many errors in the text and in the comments, there are incorrect dates.

However, even from such publications, far from perfect, it was possible to judge what a huge artistic value the letters represent and what a rich material for understanding Chekhov is contained in them. It is no accident that both collections aroused great reader interest and numerous press responses.

In 1910, the press raised the question of the need for a more serious attitude to the publication of the letters of A. P. Chekhov. We have already noticed the biased quoting of his letters by both reactionary and sometimes progressive press organs: using incomplete publications, they continued to quote them each in their own way.

This task — the collection and publication of Chekhov's letters — was taken over by his heirs. On January 16, 1910, the Russian Vedomosti newspaper published a "Letter to the Editor" signed by O. L. Knipper-Chekhov, M. P. Chekhov, and I. P. Chekhov. Informing about the preparation for printing of A. P. Chekhov's letters, they asked all persons who have his letters to send them to M. P. Chekhov for copying and publication.

After this" Letter to the Editor", reprinted in several other newspapers, and numerous personal appeals to the addressees and their heirs, Maria Pavlovna in a short time received more than 2000 letters from Chekhov. For publication, 1917 letters were selected, which made up six volumes, published under the editorship of M. P. Chekhov in 1912-1916: "Letters of A. P. Chekhov", vol. I (1876-1887), M., 1912, the same, ed. 2, ispr. and add., M., 1913; vol. II (1888-1889), M., 1912, the same, ed. 2, ispr. and add., M., 1914; vol. III (1890-1891), M., 1913, the same, ed. 2, ispr. and add., M., 1915; vol. IV (1892-1896), M., 1914; vol. V. (1897-1899), M., 1915; t. VI (1900-1904), M., 1916.

The first edition of volumes I-III was carried out by M. P. Chekhov herself with the active participation of M. P. Chekhov, who took over the entire organization of it; the second edition of the first three volumes, as well as volumes IV—VI, was carried out by the "Book Publishing House of Writers in Moscow". Biographical sketches written by M. P. Chekhov were given to all the volumes of the letters. They made up for the insufficiency of the notes to some extent.

This first collection of Chekhov's letters, arranged in chronological order, mostly checked with the originals, although it included no more than a third of the entire epistolary heritage of the writer, became the most valuable, irreplaceable material for studying his life and work, for describing his environment and public moods of the 80s, 90s and early 900s.

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