On The Harmfulness of Tobacco

Professor Maia Kipp, a native Russian and Chekhov scholar, speaks the place and people names from the play On the Harmfulness of Tobacco, by Anton Chekhov. The one-act play, from 1886, is also translated into English as On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco. For further instruction in the Russian accent of English, see Paul Meier’s website.

Recorded by Professor Maia Kipp, edited by Paul Meier, November 3, 2007. This is a revision of an earlier file made March 27, 2001. Run time 00:00:35.

CHARACTER
Markel Ivanych* Nyukhin (Markesha short/endearing)

OTHER NAMES NYUKHIN MENTIONS
Natalya Semenovna Zavertyukhina
Mamashechkina
Anna

GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
Koshachya St. (literally “Cat Street”)
Pyatisobachiy Lane (literally “Five Dogs Lane”)

* Chekhov is not consistent throughout in terms of  rendering patronymic names of his characters. Most of those on the character lists, as well as in the dialogues, are rendered in their full literary form with the endings –ovich, -yevich. However, some names on the character lists and in dialogues are rendered in their colloquial pronunciation/contracted form, with the endings of –ych, -yich. Asterisks (*) indicate each instance of the use of such a form.