Ivanov has been a first Chekhov play to be in the limelight. It was first staged on November 19, 1887 at the Korsh theatre, the same building where the Theatre of Nations exists now. The Theatre of Nations dedicated its 20^th anniversary theatre season to mark this significant event. Several productions of this play were shown in 2007 and 2008. Muscovites could see two St Petersburg productions of Ivanov by “Takoy” theatre and a small drama theatre in December and January, a Tula puppet theatre performance in February, and another ambitious production of Ivanov by Joseph Katona Theatre from Budapest in June.

Background information and the history of the play: Chekhov provided the Korsh theatre with the play at the beginning of October 1887. As the young author admitted himself he wrote Ivanov effortlessly: “I wrote the play incidentally after a conversation with Korsh. I went to bed, devised a topic and wrote. It took me two weeks, more precisely 10 days, because I either didn’t work on some days or was writing something else”.

Ivanov was a success. “Everyone likes it. Korsh haven’t found any errors or difficulties in staging it”, the playwright wrote in a letter to his brother. Chekhov wanted V. N. Davydov to play a leading role. And the actor was impressed with the opus.

The premiere gathered a full house. “Some people expected Ivanov to be farcical as the rest of Chekhov’s plays at that time, which could be found in Fragments [humorous literary magazine]. Others expected something new and more serious – and they were right. The success was colourful: some people were booing, but the majority were applauding thunderously calling for the author. Overall, however, Ivanov wasn’t understood. I can remember what was happening at the Korsh theatre that night. It was something unbelievable. People jumped from their seats, some were applauding, others – booing and whistling, the rest were stamping their feet. Chairs at the stalls were piled up, the seating rows were skewed. The audience at a box became alarmed and was unsure whether to leave or stay. And it’s impossible to imagine what was happening at the circles - a battlefield with boos and applause”, this is how a playwright’s brother M. P. Chekhov described the event.

The play was then staged at the province theatres – in Saratov, Kharkov, Stavropol, etc.

“Ivanov is strolling about Russia”, Chekhov wrote in a letter of February 15, 1888.

The Alexandrinsky theatre premiere of Ivanov on January 31, 1989 was a great success. The leading role of Ivanov himself, the same as in the Korsh’s production, was again played by V. N. Davydov. From that moment on the play began its triumphant journey through world theatres.