Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 - 1904) was born in Taganrog, in Southern Russia. The son of a grocer, and the third of six children, he was educated at the local Greek School. After Chekhov's father became bankrupt, the family lived in poverty, before fleeing to Moscow to avoid debtor's prison. After writing a series of tales for various publications, Chekhov started to gain critical attention. However, it was a trip to the Ukraine that put the literary wheels in motion. After the publication of his novella, 'The Steppe,' he was commissioned to write a play, resulting in 'Ivanov.'Over the course of his career, Chekhov wrote more than 200 short stories, and 14 plays. Works, such as 'The Seagull,' 'The Cherry Orchard,' and 'Uncle Vanya,' have been performed on stages across the world.