Birth house of Anton Chekhov, writer's house museum in Taganrog, Russia

The Birth House of Anton Chekhov is a small single-story outbuilding of 35.5 m² on Chekhov Street 69 in Taganrog, built in 1850 from adobe brick, plastered and whitewashed. It stands on the former property of merchant A. D. Gnutov, which also held two other outbuildings, a carriage shed and household structures. The museum rooms display a school report card with Chekhov's marks, his writings and a painting by his brother Nikolai.

The outbuilding was built in 1850 from adobe brick on the land of merchant A. D. Gnutov. Pavel Chekhov rented it from late 1859 to March 1861, and Anton was born there on 29 January 1860. The city bought the house in 1916, freed it of tenants in December 1920, and opened the first exhibition in 1926.

The house displays how the family lived and worked, with furniture and everyday objects from the 1800s. You see the early influences that shaped Chekhov's writing, from his schooling to the books in his room.

Visits are best experienced through guided tours that take place in the authentically furnished rooms. It is worth checking in advance when tours are available, as these provide the best way to understand the house's story.

The museum's collection grew from local donations after 1921: a surviving school report card with Chekhov's marks, his compositions, and a painting by his brother Nikolai. Teachers Kuzmenko and Guba, who whitewashed the neglected wing themselves, served as both guides and caretakers.