Missed each other in time, but not in history. This is what we can say, investigating the biographic and creative ways of two geniuses of Ukrainian and Russian literatures. Not once and not two could they meet in time and space, but it did not happen. However, they met during spiritual searches, expressed similar thoughts and feelings in letters and works. In the article we showed the role of the spiritual atmosphere of Ukraine and Sumy region in the outlook of both writers. Chekhov and Lesja Ukrainka could meet in Crimea or in Yalta. Here they were treated for tuberculosis, because doctors recommended them the Crimean unique climate. The object of research is the literary map of Ukraine, and the subject is the Sumy fragment of this map, which confirms that the family of Chekhov and Lesja Ukrainka were near the Sumy. The purpose of the material is to show that staying in Sumy region influenced their worldviews. Eighteen-year-old Lesja Ukrainka came to the village Kosivschyna of the Sumy region in 1889. The healer Paraska Bogush treated her here. Treatment was very successful. The poetess felt better, even was able to put on stockings and shoes without help, as previously dreamed. Lesya Ukrainka described the impression of our region in the essay «Spring Songs». In April of the same year the brother of Anton Pavlovich Mykola was treated for tuberculosis too. He was a talented painter and the first illustrator of his short stories, author of hundreds of drawings in literary, artistic and humorous magazines. By coincidence, Nikolay Pavlovich was also treated with herbal medicine. The healer Tatyana Nikiforovna Ivchenko treated him, but he died. Anton Chekhov had tuberculosis too. He described the impression of our region in plays «Three Sisters» and «Cherry Orchard». Anton Chekhov and Lesja Ukrainka did not meet, but they had similar characters, ways of life and views. They were lonely, discreet and morally stable. Their literary works also have many common features, in particular plots, problems, narrative techniques, characteristics of heroes, artistic images. This similarity is strange, because there are no randomness and questions need answers.
Source: Mayboroda D.V. (2018). Chekhov and Lesja Ukrainka in Sumy region. Ancient Sumy Land. №LII: 90-94
Source web-site: https://starovyna.sumdu.edu.ua/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/8-%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0.pdf
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