Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (January 29, 1860—July 15, 1904) is a Russian playwright and short-story writer of Ukrainian origin, who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history.

His career as a playwright produces four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.

Along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theater.

Chekhov practices as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress."

Chekhov renounces the theater after the reception of The Seagull in 1896, but the play is revived to acclaim in 1898 by Konstantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theaters, which subsequently also produced Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and premieres his last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.

Chekhov at first writes stories to earn money, but as his artistic ambition grows, he makes formal innovations that influence the evolution of the modern short story.

He makes no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist is to ask questions, not to answer them.