Uncle Ivan

In 1889, Chekhov finished the play “Leshiy” (a comedy in 4 acts), published in 1890 , which was later, after writing “The Seagull, ” converted into the play “Uncle Vanya”.

In its original version (“Leshiy”) it was staged on December 27, 1889 in the theater of M. M. Abramova , Moscow.

• Serebryakov Alexander Vladimirovich - retired professor
• Sofya Alexandrovna (Sonya) - his daughter from his first marriage, uncle Vanya’s niece
• Elena Andreevna - his wife, 27 years old
• Voynitskaya Maria Vasilievna - the widow of the Privy Councilor, the mother of Uncle Vanya and the first wife of the professor
• Voynitsky Ivan Petrovich - Uncle Vanya, her son, brother-in-law of a professor
• Astrov Mikhail Lvovich - doctor
• Telegin Ilya Ilyich - impoverished landowner, godfather of professor and Sonya
• Marina - old nanny
• Worker

The action takes place on the estate of the first wife of Professor Serebryakov, where he is temporarily forced to live without sufficient funds for a decent life. For many years Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky, brother of the late wife of a professor who deals with all economic issues, has been looking after the estate. His niece Sonya, daughter of Serebryakova from his first marriage, helps him. Also on this estate live the impoverished landowner Ilya Ilyich Telegin, the old nanny Marina and Maria Vasilievna Voynitskaya, the mother of Ivan Petrovich and the late wife of the professor.

Professor Serebryakov for the second time married a young and beautiful woman, Elena Andreevna. The relationship between her and her daughter Serebryakova Sonya is rather strained, since the latter suspects her stepmother in a marriage of convenience.

Professor Serebryakova has constant bouts of gout . To treat the professor, Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astrov comes to the estate.

Uncle Vanya (Voynitsky) is envious of the professor, does not recognize his scholarship, although in the past he idolized him. Under pressure from his mother, who admires her learned son-in-law and loves him, Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky translated articles for him at night and worked, denying himself everything to send Serebryakova as much money as possible. Uncle Vanya is in love with Elena Andreevna; she rejects him, although it flatters her.

One morning, Elena Andreevna and Sonya reconcile, and she confesses to her stepmother that for six years she has loved Dr. Astrov, who does not notice the feelings of the girl. Elena Andreyevna offers the stepdaughter the following: she will delicately talk with Astrov about Sonya’s feelings, and if he is indifferent to her, Elena Andreyevna will ask him to leave the estate and not return, so as not to torment the girl’s heart. During the conversation that followed, Dr. Astrov informed Elena Andreevna that he respects Sonya as a friend, but is no longer capable of great feelings. Astrov jokingly offers Elena Andreevna secretly spin the novel and showers her with kisses. Behind this, they are caught by Ivan Petrovich, who brought roses to Elena Andreevna as a sign of reconciliation. This fact shakes him even more unstable emotional state.

At this time, Professor Serebryakov convenes a family council at which he invites family members to sell the estate. Uncle Vanya strongly protests: the father bought the estate for his late sister, and since 25 thousand were not enough to buy a house, Ivan Petrovich refused the inheritance in her favor. Serebryakova’s proposal becomes the last straw, and Uncle Vanya decides to tell him everything that has accumulated in his soul over all these years. In fact, he laid his life on the altar of worship of the professor and worked for his well-being, not receiving any gratitude or an additional “ruble for a salary” for this. The scandal flares up, and Uncle Vanya, in the heat of anger, tries to kill the professor, but shoots by twice. Professor Serebryakov and Elena Andreevna decide to leave the estate immediately.

Suddenly, Dr. Astrov discovers that he has lost a jar of morphine . Having rightly suspected Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky of a theft, who quite likely wanted to reduce his scores to life, Astrov was still persuading, and then taking the drug back by force.

As a result, Voinitsky still reconciles with the professor and convinces him that he will receive the same content as before. Serebryakov and Elena Andreevna leave for Kharkov, and Sonya and Uncle Vanya Voynitsky remain on the estate. Astrov also leaves later. Sonia and Uncle Vanya work in the office, writing down bills.

At the end of the play, Sonia says: “We, Uncle Vanya, will live, <...> we will patiently endure the trials that fate will send us; <...> we will humblely die, and there, beyond the grave, we will say that we suffered, that we cried, that we were bitter, and God will have pity on us. <...> We will hear the angels, we will see the whole sky in diamonds ... We will rest! (The watchman knocks. Telegin quietly strumming; Maria Vasilievna writes on the margins of a pamphlet; Marina knits a stocking.) We will rest! (The curtain slowly drops). ”

• 1897 - the play premiered in Rostov-on-Don ; The performance was performed by the troupe of the Partnership N. N. Sinelnikov ; The roles were played by: Voinitsky - Shuvalov , Astrov - P. Samoilov, Serebryakov - D. A. Gluske-Dobrovolsky, Elena Andreevna - Yuryeva, Sonya - Sinelnikova, Telegin - Petrovsky , Marina - Blumenthal-Tamarina . ^[one]
• 1897 - Gorteatra, Saratov ;
• 1898 - Solovtsov Theater, Kiev;
• 1899 - Moscow Art Theater . Production by V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko and K.S. Stanislavsky , artist Simov . Cast: Astrov - K. S. Stanislavsky, Voynitsky - A. L. Vishnevsky , Serebryakov - V.V. Luzhsky , Elena Andreevna - O. L. Knipper , Sonya - M. P. Lilina , Voynitskaya - E. M. Raevskaya , Telegin - A.R. Artyom , Marina - M.A. Samarova . The premiere took place on October 26, 1899. The performance resumed in 1911, 1918, 1926.
• 1904 - Drama Theater V.F. Komissarzhevskaya ;
• 1909 - Alexandrinsky Theater .

Among the pre-revolutionary performers on provincial stages: Voinitsky - Kashirin, Roschin-Insarov , Duvan-Tortsov , Bravich , Gaideburov ; Astrov - Nedelin , Samoilov, Tairov , Radin , Khodotov ; Sonya - V.F. Komissarzhevskaya , Serebryakov - Yu. K. Alekseev-Meskhiev .

On the Soviet stage, "Uncle Vanya" was staged since 1919. Among the productions:

• 1941 - Theater. Bauman, Moscow; Director Krasnyansky, artist M. S. Varpeh ;
• 1943 - Sverdlovsk Theater; director Brill, artist Kuzmin; roles were performed by: Voinitsky - B. Ilyin, Elena Andreevna - E. K. Amman-Dalskaya );
• 1946 - Leningrad Theater. Pushkin . Directors L. Vivienne , N. Petrov; artist D. Popov. Cast: Voynitsky - Yu. V. Tolubeyev , Astrov - N.K. Simonov
• 1947 - Moscow Art Theater Gorky . Staged by M. Kedrov , N. Litovtseva , I. Sudakova ; artist V. Dmitriev . Roles were performed by: Voinitsky - B. G. Dobronravov , V. A. Orlov , Astrov - B. N. Livanov , Elena Andreevna - A. K. Tarasova , Sonya - E. A. Khromova , Serebryakov - A. P. Ktorov ; Telegin - M.M. Yanshin .
• 1960 - Theater Lesia Ukrainka , Kiev. In the role of Voynitsky - Romanov.
• 1982 - Leningrad Bolshoi Drama Theater. M. Gorky . Staged by G. A. Tovstonogov , artist E. S. Kochergin . Roles were performed by: Serebryakov - E. Lebedev , Elena Andreevna - N. Danilova , Sonya - T. Bedova , Voinitskaya - M. Prizvan-Sokolova , Voinitsky - O. Basilashvili , Astrov - K. Lavrov , Telegin - N. Trofimov , Marina - Z. Sharko .
• 1985 - Moscow Art Theater. M. Gorky . Production by O. Efremov ; artist V. Leventhal . Roles were performed by: Voinitsky - A. Myagkov , Astrov - O. Borisov , Elena Andreevna - A. Vertinskaya , Sonya - V. Yakunina , Serebryakov - E. Evstigneev ; Telegin - V. Innocent .

In the post-Soviet era

• 1993 - Maly Theater . Staged by Sergei Solovyov , artist V. Leventhal, composer Isaac Schwartz. Roles were performed by: Voinitsky - Yu. Solomin , Astrov - V. Solomin .
• 1993 - Theater "At the Nikitsky Gate". Staged by Mark Rozovsky , artist Tatyana Shvets.
• 1996 - Novosibirsk City Drama Theater under the direction of S. Afanasyev . Director Sergey Afanasyev, artist Vladimir Fateev, Voinitsky - Sergey Novikov, Astrov - Vladimir Lemeshonok.
• 1997 - Lermontov Theater, Alma-Ata, staged by People's Artist of the USSR A. Mambetov, Uncle Vanya - Sergey Ufimtsev, Astrov - Alexei Shemes, Sonya - Marianna Pokrovskaya
• 2003 - Maly Drama Theater - Theater of Europe . Staged by Lev Dodin , artist David Borovsky .
• 2004 - " Snuffbox ", on the main stage of the Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov . Staged by M. Karbauskis . Premiere - May 18 [1] .
• 2005 - Theater "Near the House of Stanislavsky." Production by Y. Pogrebnichko, artist Nadezhda Bakhvalova.
• 2006 - Saratov Drama Theater named after I. A. Slonov . Staged by Elena Black. Premiere - March 4 .
• 2008 - Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Drama Theater named after M. Gorky . Staged by Valery Sarkisov.
• 2009 - Theater named after Evg. Vakhtangov . Staged by R. Tuminas ; thin Adomas Jatsovskis , composer Faustas Latenas. Premiere - September 2.
• 2009 - Alexandrinsky Theater . Production by Andrey Shcherban, thin. Carmenchita Brogbow.
• 2009 - Mossovet Theater . Production and set design by Andrei Konchalovsky .
• 2011 - Youth Theater, Chernihiv (G. Kasyanov).
• 2012 - Rainy Theater . Staged by Natalia Nikitina. Premiere - January 27.
• 2012 - Theater on Vasilyevsky . Staged by Vladimir Tumanov, set designer Elena Dmitrakova, costume designer Stefania Graurogkaite. Premiere - October 26th.
• 2014 - Educational Theater MGUKI . The production of Vladimir Krasovsky (Voinitsky - Valery Bogatyrev, Sonya - Evdokia Slavina, Astrov - Nikolai Samsonov, Elena Andreyevna - Ekaterina Bogomolova, Telegin - Oleg Donskoy, Serebryakov - Alexander Yunkerov, Marina - Tatyana Medvedenko, Maria Vasilievna - Pelageya Rastopchina, worker - Mikan Dzhopuma, )
• 2016 - Voronezh Chamber Theater. Production by Mikhail Bychkova, set designer Nikolay Simonov (Voinitsky - Kamil Tukaev, Sonya - Tatyana Babenkova, Astrov - Andrey Novikov, Elena Andreevna - Lyudmila Guskova, Telegin - Andrey Miroshnikov, Serebryakov - Yuri Ovchinnikov, Marina - Tatyana Chernyavskaya, Maria Vasilyevna - Tatyana Sezonenko, worker - Alexander Gabura).
• 2017 - Creative laboratory - acting course. Staged by Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Vlad Furman , assistant director Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Nelly Popova . (Voynitsky - Sergey Lopukhov, Sonya - Olga Lopukhova, Astrov - Maxim Kisin, Elena Andreevna - Illarionova Svetlana). Premiere - April 16, 2017.
• 2017 - St. Petersburg Academic Theater named after Lensovet . The production of Yuri Butusov . Artist - Alexander Shishkin. (Voynitsky - Alexander Novikov , Sonya - Olga Muravitskaya, Astrov - Evgeny Filatov , Serebryakov - Sergey Migitsko , Elena Andreevna - Natalya Shamina, Telegin - Sergey Peregudov ). Released March 31, 2017
• 2018 - "Such a theater . " The production of Philipp Vinogradov based on the play by A.P. Chekhov. Cast: ZA Rossii Alexander Alekseev, Igor Grabuzov, Yana Obroskova, Pavel Filippov, Svetlana Savenkova, Alexey Vdovin, Sofia Bolshakova. Released November 25, 2018.

Among foreign productions:

• Czech National Theater —1901, 1907, dir. Kvapil;
• Folk Theater in Sofia - 1904-1906;
• Free Theater in Varna;
• Royal Munich Theater — 1903, 1913;
• Berlin Theater - 1904;
• Theater of the Champs Elysees, Paris - 1922, director J. Pitoev ; " Comedy Francaise ", 1961;
• “ Old Vic ”, London - 1944 (Astrov - Olivier , Voynitsky - Richardsi);
• The Polish Theater, Warsaw - 1953 (the performance was shown in Moscow in 1954);
• Forty Street Theater, New York - 1956 (performance recorded for television);
• Morelli-Stopp Troupe, Rome - 1956, directed by L. Visconti ; (Voynitsky - Stopp);
• German Theater, Zurich, 1940;
• “Theater de Poch”, Geneva, 1956 and many others. others;
• Goodman Theater [2] USA, Chicago, 2017.

• 1950 - Uncle Vanya / ( Uncle Vanya , (TV) (USA), director Gordon Duff
• 1953 - Uncle Vanya / Tio Vanya (TV) (Brazil), director
• 1957 - Uncle Vanya ( Eng. Uncle Vanya ; USA) - directors Fransho Towne , John Goetz.
• 1957 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya (TV) (United Kingdom) (BBC Theater Sunday Night)
• 1962 - Uncle Vanya / Oncle Vania (TV) ( France ) - dir. .
• 1963 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya ( Great Britain ) - dir. .
• 1963 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Vanja (TV) (Norway), director
• 1963 - Uncle Vanya / Tío Vania (TV) (Spain) (TV series First Row)
• 1964 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Wanja (TV) (GDR), directed by
• 1964 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya (TV) (Canada), director David Gardner (TV series "Festival")
• 1965 - Uncle Vanya - scenes from rural life / Onkel Wanja - Szenen aus dem Landleben (TV) (Germany), directed by
• 1967 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Vanja (TV) ( Sweden ) - dir. Johan Bergenstrel .
• 1967 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya (TV) (United Kingdom), director Laurence Olivier Cast: Voynitsky Ivan Petrovich - Michael Redgrave , Elena Andreevna - Rosemary Harris , Sofia Alexandrovna - Joan Pluraight , Dr. Astrov - Laurence Olivier
• 1967 - Uncle Vanya / (Uncle Vanya, (TV) (USA) directed by
• 1968 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Wanja - Szenen aus dem Landleben (TV) (Austria), directors ,
• 1969 - Uncle Vanya / Tío Vania (TV) (Spain), director Francisco Abad (TV series "Theater Always")
• 1970 - Uncle Vanya ( Serbohorv. Ujka Vanja ; Yugoslavia) - director Jerzy Antchak .
• 1970 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya (TV) (United Kingdom), director (BBC series Play of the Month). Starring Anthony Hopkins - Dr. Astrov ; Roland Culver - Serebryakov
• 1970 - Uncle Vanya / ( USSR ) - dir. Andrey Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky .
• 1971 - Uncle Vanya / Vanja-eno (TV) (Finland), director
• 1971 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Vanja (TV) (Denmark), director Leon Feder
• 1971 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Wanja - Bilder aus dem Landleben (TV) (Germany), directors Martin Betty,
• 1972 - Live / Den levende vare (TV) (Denmark), director Preben Østerfelt (based on the play " Uncle Vanya "
• 1974 - Uncle Vanya / El Tío Vania (TV) (Argentina) (TV series “High Comedy”)
• 1976 - Uncle Vanya / El tio Vania (TV) (Spain), director Angel Gutierrez (TV series Studio 1)
• 1979 - Uncle Vanya / Zio Vanja (TV) (Italy), director
• 1981 - Uncle Vanya / Ujka Vanja (TV) (Yugoslavia), director Vladimir Tserich
• 1986 - Uncle Vanya. Scenes from village life , Lentelefilm , television show BDT directed by Georgy Tovstonogov and Evgeny Makarov . Cast: Evgeny Lebedev - Alexander Vladimirovich Serebryakov ; Natalia Danilova - Elena Andreevna Serebryakova ; Tatyana Bedova - Sonya Serebryakova ; Maria Prizvan-Sokolova - Maria Vasilievna Voynitskaya ; Oleg Basilashvili - Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky ; Kirill Lavrov - Dr. Astrov ; Nikolay Trofimov - Ilya Ilyich Telegin ; Zinaida Sharko - Marina, the old nanny
• 1990 - Uncle Vanya / Zio Vania di Anton Cechov (TV) (Italy), director
• 1991 - Uncle Vanya / Uncle Vanya (TV) (United Kingdom), directed by . Cast: David Warner - Ivan Voynitsky ; Ian Holm - Dr. Astrov ; Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - Elena Serebryakova ; Jan Bannen - Professor Serebryakov ; Rebecca Pidgeon - Sonya Serebryakova ; Rachel Kempson - Maria Voynitskaya
• 1994 - Country Life ( Australia ) - directed by Michael Blakemore . Action moved to Australia.
• 1994 - Vanya on 42nd Street / Vanya on 42nd Street ( USA ) - directed by Louis Mal .
• 1994 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Vanja ( Sweden ) - director
• 1996 - August / August ( Great Britain ) - directed by Anthony Hopkins . Action moved to Wales
• 1997 - Uncle Vanya / Vujko Vanja (TV) (Macedonia), director Dusko Naumovsky
• 2004 - Uncle Vanya / Onkel Wanja ( Germany ) - dir. Barbara Frey .

• Volchkevich M. "Uncle Vanya". Scenes from an unlived life. - M .: Space-2000, 2010 .-- 87 p.

• Uncle Vanya in the library of Maxim Moshkov
• Summary of the play
• Screen versions of A.P. Chekhov's works on the Internet Movie Database
• Uncle Vanya at the Internet Broadway Database
• Uncle Vanya at Lortel Archives
• text in an academic publication
• Theatrical Encyclopedia (inaccessible link)
• Production in Serpukhov. 2009 year