Chekhov unveiled

by Thulasi MUTTULINGAM

A monument to mark the 150th birth anniversary of one of the world's greatest literary figures, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was unveiled in the lobby of the Grand Oriental Hotel August 14. Though a Russian writer, Chekhov is a writer who has left his influence on writers and literature across the globe, not the least of which is Sinhala.

Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Vladimir P. Mikhaylov and Ministers Susil Premajayantha and Wimal Weerawansa viewing the Anton Chekhov monument unveiled at Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo recently.

"No serious discussion of Sinhala literature is possible without reference to Chekhov," says Professor A.R.L Fernando of the Kelaniya University. "When we talk of Russian literature in Sinhala, 90 percent of the time we are talking about Chekhov."

A little known fact of this great author's life is that he spent six days of it in Sri Lanka; a land he called "Paradise on Earth." He stopped here on his way back to Russia from the Sakhalin Islands, which by comparison, he called hell on earth. He had gone there to do what Professor Fernando calls 'investigative reporting.' The islands were being used as a convict colony by Russia at the time and Chekhov went there to see for himself how they were treated.

Badly in need of getting over his disillusionment and despair at the condition of the convicts and their families, he stopped over in Sri Lanka and soothed his spirits. His ship, the St. Petersburg docked at the Colombo Harbour on November 12, 1890 and he stayed at the Grand Oriental Hotel, which still overlooks that same harbour. The suite he stayed in is now called the Anton Chekhov Suite and has been converted into a museum of sorts.

One can still see the writing table and chair on which the short story, Gusev was probably started and also the antique bed that Chekhov slept in.

Within the six days he stayed here, he travelled to Kandy and saw a Salvation Army Battalion, travelled to Kalutara and bought a mongoose and a palm cat (he was tricked into believing that the palm cat was also a mongoose), saw a snake charmer and did not forget to enjoy the charms of the 'beautiful, brown skinned Sri Lankan women.'

A delegation of writers from Russia have been travelling the globe, gifting monuments of Chekhov to the countries which he visited. In Sri Lanka, they have gifted a sculpture of Chekhov to the Grand Oriental Hotel, which was unveiled with great ceremony in its lobby yesterday, by the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Vladimir P. Mikhaylov. Also present at the ceremony were Minister of Petroleum Industries Susil Premajayantha and Minister of Construction and Engineering Services Wimal Weerawansa.