See what “Three Sisters (play)” is in other dictionaries. Chekhov: Three Sisters Username three sisters play

07.05.2021

The action takes place in the provincial town, in the house of the Prozorovs.

Irina, the youngest of the three Prozorov sisters, turns twenty years old. “It’s sunny and fun outside,” and a table is being set in the hall to await guests - officers of the artillery battery stationed in the city and its new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin. Everyone is full of joyful expectations and hopes. Irina: “I don’t know why my soul is so light... It’s like I’m on sails, there’s a wide blue sky above me and big white birds are flying around.” The Prozorovs are scheduled to move to Moscow in the fall. The sisters have no doubt that their brother Andrei will go to university and eventually become a professor. Kulygin, a gymnasium teacher, the husband of one of the sisters, Masha, is grateful. Chebutykin, a military doctor who once madly loved the Prozorovs’ late mother, succumbs to the general joyful mood. “My white bird,” he kisses Irina touchingly. Lieutenant Baron Tuzenbach speaks with enthusiasm about the future: “The time has come […] a healthy, strong storm is being prepared, which […] will blow away laziness, indifference, prejudice towards work, rotten boredom from our society.” Vershinin is equally optimistic. With his appearance, Masha’s “merechlyundia” goes away. The atmosphere of relaxed cheerfulness is not disturbed by the appearance of Natasha, although she herself is terribly embarrassed by large society. Andrei proposes to her: “Oh youth, wonderful, wonderful youth! […] I feel so good, my soul is full of love, delight... My dear, good, pure, be my wife!”

But already in the second act, major notes are replaced by minor ones. Andrey can't find a place for himself because of boredom. He, who dreamed of a professorship in Moscow, is not at all attracted by the position of secretary of the zemstvo government, and in the city he feels “alien and lonely.” Masha is finally disappointed in her husband, who once seemed to her “terribly learned, smart and important,” and among his fellow teachers she simply suffers. Irina is not satisfied with her work at the telegraph office: “What I wanted so much, what I dreamed about, is not in it. Work without poetry, without thoughts...” Olga returns from the gymnasium tired and with a headache. Not in the spirit of Vershinin. He still continues to assure that “everything on earth must change little by little,” but he immediately adds: “And how I would like to prove to you that there is no happiness, there should not be and will not be for us... We must only work and work..." In Chebutykin's puns, with which he amuses those around him, hidden pain breaks through: "No matter how you philosophize, loneliness is a terrible thing..."

Natasha, who is gradually taking control of the whole house, sends out the guests who were waiting for the mummers. "Philistine!" - Masha says to Irina in her hearts.

Three years have passed. If the first act took place at noon, and it was “sunny and cheerful” outside, then the stage directions for the third act “warn” about completely different - gloomy, sad - events: “Behind the stage they sound the alarm bell on the occasion of a fire that started a long time ago. Through the open door you can see a window, red from the glow.” The Prozorovs' house is full of people fleeing the fire.

Irina sobs: “Where? Where did it all go? […] and life is leaving and will never return, we will never, never go to Moscow... I’m in despair, I’m in despair!” Masha thinks in alarm: “Somehow we will live our lives, what will become of us?” Andrei cries: “When I got married, I thought that we would be happy... everyone is happy... But my God...” Tuzenbach, perhaps even more disappointed: “How happy I imagined then (three years ago. - V.B.) life! Where is she?" While on a drinking binge, Chebutykin: “My head is empty, my soul is cold. Maybe I’m not a person, but I’m only pretending that I have arms and legs... and a head; Maybe I don’t exist at all, but it only seems to me that I walk, eat, sleep. (Crying.)" And the more persistently Kulygin repeats: “I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied,” the more obvious it becomes how broken and unhappy everyone is.

And finally, the last action. Autumn is approaching. Masha, walking along the alley, looks up: “And migratory birds are already flying…” The artillery brigade leaves the city: it is transferred to another place, either to Poland, or to Chita. The officers come to say goodbye to the Prozorovs. Fedotik, taking a photograph as a souvenir, notes: “...there will be peace and quiet in the city.” Tuzenbach adds: “And the boredom is terrible.” Andrey speaks out even more categorically: “The city will be empty. It’s as if they’ll cover him with a cap.”

Masha breaks up with Vershinin, whom she fell in love with so passionately: “Unsuccessful life... I don’t need anything now...” Olga, having become the head of the gymnasium, understands: “That means she won’t be in Moscow.” Irina decided - “if I’m not destined to be in Moscow, then so be it” - to accept the offer of Tuzenbach, who retired: “The baron and I are getting married tomorrow, tomorrow we’re leaving for the brick school, and the day after tomorrow I’m already at school, a new one begins life. […] And suddenly, as if wings grew on my soul, I became cheerful, it became a lot easier and again I wanted to work, work...” Chebutykin in emotion: “Fly, my dears, fly with God!”

He blesses Andrei in his own way for the “flight”: “You know, put on your hat, pick up a stick and go away... leave and go, go without looking back. And the further you go, the better.”

But even the most modest hopes of the characters in the play are not destined to come true. Solyony, in love with Irina, provokes a quarrel with the baron and kills him in a duel. Broken Andrey does not have enough strength to follow Chebutykin’s advice and pick up the “staff”: “Why do we, having barely begun to live, become boring, gray, uninteresting, lazy, indifferent, useless, unhappy...”

The battery leaves the city. A military march sounds. Olga: “The music plays so cheerfully, cheerfully, and you want to live! […] and, it seems, a little more, and we will find out why we live, why we suffer... If only we knew! (The music plays quieter and quieter.) If only I had known, if only I had known!” (A curtain.)

The heroes of the play are not free migratory birds, they are imprisoned in a strong social “cage”, and the personal destinies of everyone caught in it are subject to the laws by which the entire country, which is experiencing general trouble, lives. Not "who", but "what?" dominates a person. This main culprit of misfortunes and failures in the play has several names - “vulgarity”, “baseness”, “sinful life”... The face of this “vulgarity” looks especially visible and unsightly in Andrei’s thoughts: “Our city has existed for two hundred years, there are a hundred thousands of inhabitants, and not a single one who would not be like the others... […] They only eat, drink, sleep, then die... others will be born, and they also eat, drink, sleep and, in order not to become dull from boredom, diversify their lives with disgusting gossip, vodka, cards, litigation..."

Retold

The beginning of the story opens with a picture of the Prozorovs' house. The sisters share memories of their deceased father. One of the sisters declares that she is already pretty tired of working as a teacher and wants to move to Moscow, to their homeland. She already wants to quickly get married and take care of the house and children.

Preparations for Irina’s birthday celebration begin in full swing in the house, to which many guests are invited, including Vershinin, whom Tuzenbach reports. From Vershinin’s obsessive stories, one can understand that he has daughters and a wife who never has enough attention.

Maria walks around completely sad, so she decides to leave the holiday, she does not want to ruin it for those celebrating. Chebutyrin appears with a samovar, which he gives to Ira. The girls notice Vershinin and tell him that they want to move to the capital soon.

In the next room, Andrei is melodiously playing his favorite instrument - the violin. He is a sweet but shy guy, although according to the girls he is very smart, but he does not like to appear in front of crowds of people. Despite his shyness, he shakes Vershinin’s hand and reports on the badness of their father’s upbringing and how he was able to free himself with his death, gain weight and feel freedom from oppression.

Kulygin comes into the house and gives a book about the creation of the gymnasium, which he once wrote himself, but he most likely forgot that he had already given it to Irina on the previous holiday.

Kulygin is in love with Maria, although he is married. Tuzenbach confesses his feelings to Ira, and she explains that she hates love.

Natalya is in ridiculous clothes and they start making fun of her, Andrey also gets a lot of bullying, they go into another room and Andrey proposes to her.

In the second act, Natalya and Andrey got married and got themselves a dog. Natalya takes care of the housework, pushing everyone out, explaining that this is in the interests of the child.

She refuses mummers, since this is too high a chance of catching something from a disease. Andrei became the secretary of the zemstvo council, although in his dreams he still sees himself as a professor. Maria realized that her husband did not love her and told Vershinin this. She wants to find a military and well-mannered spouse. He, in turn, tells her about his wife, who does not give him a pass with endless discontent.

Ira is closely looked after by Tuzenbach, he accompanies her home from her job, where she got a job as a telegraph operator. She sees nothing good in her work and is often rude to parishioners. She is thinking about the capital, the move is scheduled for June.

Everyone sits down to play cards. Vershinin shares his thoughts about the happy future of their descendants, which is definitely coming, but there will be no one of them at that time. Tuzenbach is happy, but Maria wants to find happiness in God.

News comes - Vershinin's wife again tried to take her own life. Vershinin leaves, Maria gets upset.

Natasha only cares about the child. Looking away from him, she makes comments about the rudeness of the speech of those present. Solyony gets irritated, is very rude to Natalya and she leaves.

Tuzenbach is overcome by feelings of some kind of quarrel with Solyony, and he makes a proposal to make peace. Tuzenbach reports that he wishes to resign and take up other work.

Natalya is trying to disperse the guests. Solyony confesses his feelings to Irina, but she does not support him. Natasha asks Ira to live with Olya so that there is room for her dog. Olga arrives and, tired, goes to bed.

The third act begins with a fire, there are many people crying on the street, they are all standing near the Prozorovs’ house. Among the fire victims are Vershinin's daughters, they are looking for their father.

The old woman Anfisa, who helps in their house, asks to live out her life with them. Olga allows it, but Natalya wants her to decide everything in this house. And she offers to send this old woman to the village. Natasha apologizes to Olga, but soon again tries to put her in another room to live.

Maria and Vershinin are in love with each other and spend a lot of time together, despite Maria's marriage. Her husband loves her very much and does not notice anything, obeying her in everything.

Andrey loses the family house at cards. Natalya takes the money. Maria's husband says not to worry, as they have enough money. Andrei, according to Irina, has become very bad in his marriage with Natalya, he does not notice that his wife has long been in love with Protopopov, and the whole neighborhood is laughing, hiding what is happening from him.

Ira is crying. Olga invites her to marry Tuzenbach. The sisters stop believing in moving.

Maria talks about her love for Vershinin, her sisters do not support her. Andrei declares that the sisters are unfair to his wife, but she is the best, he also apologizes for mortgaging the house and explains his action by a complete lack of money. Soon Andrei begins to cry, as he himself understands that his life is crumbling before his eyes. Irina begs her sister to move, promising that she will agree to marry Tuzenbach. The military arrives.

In the fourth act, Rode and Fedotik, military officers who constantly visit the Prozorovs’ house, leave.

Olga completely immersed herself in work at the gymnasium and received the position of head. She also lives there, since she was given an apartment, into which she took Anfisa. Irina is getting married, and after the wedding they are going to leave. Irina passed her exams and will soon become a teacher, and Tuzenbach was assigned to a brick production plant.

Natalya has completely subjugated Andrei and even watches him as he walks with a stroller in the yard. He understands that all his dreams and aspirations have long been over and now he will live his life only this way.

Solyony and Tuzenbach had a fight, this became the reason for a duel. Irina worries and senses something is wrong, but Tuzenbach tries to distract her by saying that she never loved him. Irina reports that she did not have the opportunity to love, but she always wanted to comprehend this feeling.

Vershinin comes in to say goodbye. At the moment, he is leaving alone and asks Olga to look after his family, his wife and two daughters; soon he is going to take them to his place. Masha begins to cry.

But then a shot rang out and Tuzenbach died in the duel. Irina leaves alone. Olga hugs her sisters and talks about life past, present and future.

Year of publication of the book: 1901

The play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov was created by order of one of the Moscow theaters and was first published in 1901. In the same year, the play was first staged in the theater, after which it was staged more than once in many theaters around the world. The plot of Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" formed the basis of several feature films. The latest film adaptation was the film of the same name, released in October 2017. It is largely thanks to such works that Anton Chekhov still occupies the top positions to this day.

Plays "Three Sisters" summary

Three sisters Olga, Masha and Irina live in the same house with their brother Andrey. Their father, General Prozorov, recently died, and the family is still in mourning for him. All the girls are very young - the oldest, Olga, is twenty-eight years old, and the youngest, Irina, is just turning twenty. None of them are married. Except for Masha, who has long been married to Fyodor Kulygin, an intelligent professor who once attracted her with his erudition. However, at present, the girl is terribly burdened by marriage, she becomes bored in the company of her husband and his friends, although Kulygin is still madly in love with her.

But in Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” you can read that everything in the lives of girls has not been happening for a long time as they dreamed. Olga has been going to work at the gymnasium for several years, but admits to herself that such a routine depresses her. The girl feels like every day she is losing her youth and beauty, so she is in constant irritation. Irina is not working yet. But this is precisely what haunts her - the girl sees no meaning in her idle life, devoid of any work. She dreams of finding a job she likes and meeting her love.

The main characters of the play “Three Sisters” often reminisce about their life in Moscow. They moved from there as young children due to their father's new job. Since then, the Prozorovs have lived for many years in a small town in northern Russia. All this time, the sisters have a premonition that if they returned to Moscow now, their life would become rich and interesting.

Irina’s twentieth birthday has arrived, which coincides with the day when the family can end their mourning for the deceased general. The sisters decide to organize a holiday to which they invite their friends. Among the guests were mainly officers who had been under the leadership of their father for a long time. Among them were the kind but drink-loving military doctor Chebutykin, the sensitive but completely ugly Baron Tuzenbach and Staff Captain Soleny, who for unknown reasons constantly behaved aggressively towards others. Also present was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vershinin, who was in a bad mood due to constant disagreements with his wife. The only thing that cheered him up even a little was his unshakable faith in the bright future of the next generations. Andrei’s beloved Natalya also showed up for the holiday - a terribly stupid, hysterical and domineering person.

Further in the play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov, the summary takes us to a time when Andrei and Natasha were already married. Now the woman is trying to manage the house as a mistress. Together they are raising a young son. Andrey, who once dreamed of a career as a scientist, realizes that due to the needs of his family, he will not be able to fulfill his dream. The young man receives the position of secretary of the zemstvo government. He is terribly annoyed by such activities, which is why Prozorov, as the main character, begins to become seriously interested in gambling. The result of this was frequent losses of large sums.

At the same time, in the play “Three Sisters” you can read that over the past year the life of the sisters has practically not changed. Olga occupies the same position and still hates it. Irina decides to find a job and gets a job at the telegraph office. The girl thought that work would bring her happiness and help her realize her potential. However, work takes up all her energy and time, and Irina begins to give up on her dream. Officer Solyony proposes to her, but the girl refuses the evil and arrogant man. After this, he swears that he will not allow her to be with anyone else and promises to kill any rival he has. Masha, in order to somehow distract herself from her annoying husband, begins to build a relationship with Vershinin. The lieutenant colonel admits that he is madly in love with a girl, but he cannot leave his family because of her. The fact is that he has two little daughters growing up, and the man does not want to traumatize them by leaving.

The heroines still dream of moving to Moscow. They tried several times to plan their trip in detail, but something always got in their way. At the same time, they try to get along with Natasha, who behaves terribly. The girl evicts Irina from her own room and gives the premises to her son. Due to the child’s constant illnesses, she demands not to invite guests and not to organize loud celebrations. The sisters do not want a quarrel with the new family member, so they tolerate all her antics.

Next, “Three Sisters,” the content of the play takes us another two years forward. In the town where the Prozorovs live, a serious fire occurs that destroys an entire block. Residents leave their homes in a hurry, some of them find shelter in the house of the main characters. Olga decides to help the victims a little and wants to give them old unnecessary things, but Natalya speaks out against this idea. The behavior of Andrei’s wife began to go beyond all limits - she commands all family members, insults those who work in this house and orders the dismissal of the old nanny, who, due to her age, cannot do housework.

Andrey completely went into gambling. He didn’t care at all about what Natasha was doing, so he didn’t get involved in domestic squabbles. During this time, a terrible thing happened - the man became so overplayed that he got into huge debts. As a result, he had to mortgage the house that belonged to him and his sisters. None of the girls found out about this, and Natalya appropriated all the money raised for herself.

Meanwhile, the text of the play “Three Sisters” tells that Masha has been meeting with Vershinin throughout this entire time. Her husband, as he does, guesses about this affair, but chooses not to show it. Alexander never decided to leave his family, which is why he is often in a bad mood. Irina changed her job - now she holds a position in the zemstvo government together with her brother. However, the change in activity does not make her happy. The girl doesn’t know what to do next, and her sisters offer her to marry, even if it’s to someone she doesn’t love. Moreover, there is already a contender for her hand and heart - just recently Baron Tuzenbach confessed his love to her.

Irina understands that there is no better candidate and accepts the baron's courtship. She does not have any feelings for the man, but after the engagement, something in her thoughts changes. Tuzenbach decides to quit his service. Together with Irina, they constantly discuss their plans for the future and dream of going where they will find their purpose. Finally, the girl feels absolutely happy, and faith in the best arises in her again. However, as the author of the play “Three Sisters” says, Solyony remains very dissatisfied with the relationship between Irina and Tuzenbach. He plans to take revenge on his rival.

Meanwhile, in the play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov, a brief summary talks about the great changes that are coming in the lives of women. The battalion, which was temporarily based in the city, was supposed to go to Poland. All this meant that the sisters would have to say goodbye to many of their friends. Masha is especially sad, as she understands that she may never see Vershinin again. Olga, meanwhile, managed to become the head of the gymnasium, where she worked for many years. She left her father's house and moved to an apartment, where she invited an old nanny.

Irina is getting an education and can now work as a teacher. Together with her fiancé, she plans to leave this city soon and hopes that now she will finally be happy. Natasha is happy that Irina is leaving after Olga. Now she feels like a full-fledged mistress. But suddenly a quarrel between the baron and Soleny occurs, after which the captain challenges his opponent to a duel. Irina is horrified by this news. Early in the morning a duel took place. After some time, Doctor Chebutykin, who was a second, came into the Prozorovs’ house. He reported that Baron Tuzenbach was dead.

After this, the meaning of the play “Three Sisters” comes down to the fact that Irina returns to her usual state again. She grieves over her life and does not see the slightest chance of finding happiness. The sisters grieve with her. Their pain is intensified by the fact that the officers are leaving the city in full force and the heroines are left completely alone.

The play “Three Sisters” on the Top books website

Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" is so popular to read that it took a high place in our ranking. And the recently released film adaptation contributed a lot to this. Therefore, we can confidently assume that we will see her among our site’s ratings more than once.

You can read Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” in full on the Top Books website.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

"Three sisters"

The action takes place in the provincial town, in the house of the Prozorovs.

Irina, the youngest of the three Prozorov sisters, turns twenty years old. “It’s sunny and fun outside,” and a table is being set in the hall to await guests—officers of the artillery battery stationed in the city and its new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin. Everyone is full of joyful expectations and hopes. Irina: “I don’t know why my soul is so light... It’s like I’m on sails, there’s a wide blue sky above me and big white birds are flying around.” The Prozorovs are scheduled to move to Moscow in the fall. The sisters have no doubt that their brother Andrei will go to university and eventually become a professor. Kulygin, a gymnasium teacher, the husband of one of the sisters, Masha, is grateful. Chebutykin, a military doctor who once madly loved the Prozorovs’ late mother, succumbs to the general joyful mood. “My white bird,” he kisses Irina touchingly. Lieutenant Baron Tuzenbach speaks with enthusiasm about the future: “The time has come<…>a healthy, strong storm is preparing, which<…>will blow away laziness, indifference, prejudice towards work, and rotten boredom from our society.” Vershinin is equally optimistic. With his appearance, Masha’s “merechlyundia” goes away. The atmosphere of casual cheerfulness is not disturbed by the appearance of Natasha, although she herself is terribly embarrassed by large society. Andrei proposes to her: “Oh youth, wonderful, wonderful youth!<…>I feel so good, my soul is full of love, delight... My dear, good, pure, be my wife!”

But already in the second act, major notes are replaced by minor ones. Andrey can't find a place for himself because of boredom. He, who dreamed of a professorship in Moscow, is not at all attracted by the position of secretary of the zemstvo government, and in the city he feels “alien and lonely.” Masha is finally disappointed in her husband, who once seemed to her “terribly learned, smart and important,” and among his fellow teachers she simply suffers. Irina is not satisfied with her work at the telegraph office: “What I wanted so much, what I dreamed about, is not in it. Work without poetry, without thoughts...” Olga returns from the gymnasium, tired and with a headache. Not in the spirit of Vershinin. He still continues to assure that “everything on earth must change little by little,” but he immediately adds: “And how I would like to prove to you that there is no happiness, there should not be and will not be for us... We must only work and work..." In Chebutykin's puns, with which he amuses those around him, hidden pain breaks through: "No matter how you philosophize, loneliness is a terrible thing..."

Natasha, who is gradually taking control of the whole house, sends out the guests who were waiting for the mummers. "Philistine!" - Masha says to Irina in her hearts.

Irina sobs: “Where? Where did it all go?<…>and life is leaving and will never return, we will never, never go to Moscow... I’m in despair, I’m in despair!” Masha thinks in alarm: “Somehow we will live our lives, what will become of us?” Andrei cries: “When I got married, I thought that we would be happy... everyone is happy... But my God...” Tuzenbach, perhaps even more disappointed: “How happy I imagined then (three years ago. - V.B.) life! Where is she?" While on a drinking binge, Chebutykin: “My head is empty, my soul is cold. Maybe I’m not a person, but I’m only pretending that I have arms and legs... and a head; Maybe I don’t exist at all, but it only seems to me that I walk, eat, sleep. (Crying.)" And the more persistently Kulygin repeats: “I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied,” the more obvious it becomes how broken and unhappy everyone is.

Masha breaks up with Vershinin, whom she fell in love with so passionately: “Unsuccessful life... I don’t need anything now...” Olga, having become the head of the gymnasium, understands: “That means she won’t be in Moscow.” Irina decided - “if I’m not destined to be in Moscow, then so be it” - to accept the offer of Tuzenbach, who retired: “The baron and I are getting married tomorrow, tomorrow we’re leaving for the brick factory, and the day after tomorrow I’m already at school, a new one begins life.<…>And suddenly, as if wings had grown on my soul, I became cheerful, it became much easier and again I wanted to work, to work...” Chebutykin in emotion: “Fly, my dears, fly with God!”

He blesses Andrei in his own way for the “flight”: “You know, put on your hat, pick up a stick and go away... leave and go, go without looking back. And the further you go, the better.”

The battery leaves the city. A military march sounds. Olga: “The music plays so cheerfully, cheerfully, and you want to live!<…>and, it seems, a little more, and we will find out why we live, why we suffer... If only we knew! (The music plays quieter and quieter.) If only I had known, if only I had known!” (A curtain.)

The heroes of the play are not free birds of passage, they are imprisoned in a strong social “cage”, and the personal destinies of everyone caught in it are subject to the laws by which the entire country, which is experiencing general trouble, lives. Not "who", but "what?" dominates a person. This main culprit of misfortunes and failures in the play has several names - “vulgarity”, “baseness”, “sinful life”... The face of this “vulgarity” looks especially visible and unsightly in Andrei’s thoughts: “Our city has existed for two hundred years, there are a hundred thousands of inhabitants, and not a single one who was not like the others...<…>They only eat, drink, sleep, then die... others will be born, and they also eat, drink, sleep, and, in order not to become dull from boredom, they diversify their lives with nasty gossip, vodka, cards, litigation...”

Part 1

At the Prozorovs' house they are preparing to celebrate the 20th birthday of Irina, the youngest of three sisters. Officers from the artillery battery and their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin, should come to visit. Everyone except sister Masha is in a good mood.

In the fall, the Prozorovs are going to move to Moscow, where Andrei, the girls’ brother, is supposed to go to university. They predict that he will become a professor in the future.

Kulygin, Masha’s husband, a gymnasium teacher, is pleased. Chebutykin, a military doctor who used to be madly in love with the Prozorovs’ late mother, rejoices. Lieutenant Baron Tuzenbach talks about a bright future. Vershinin supports him. With the appearance of the lieutenant colonel, Masha’s “merechlyundia” goes away.

Natasha appears. The girl is embarrassed by large society. And Andrei invites her to become his wife.

Part 2

Andrey can't find a place for himself out of boredom. He dreamed of a professorship, but was forced to work as a secretary of the zemstvo government. He doesn't like it in the city, he feels lonely and alien.

Masha is disappointed in her husband; she suffers from communication with his fellow teachers. Irina is also not happy about her position at the telegraph office, because she did not dream of such thoughtless work. Olga returns from the gymnasium tired and with a headache.

Vershinin is not in a good mood, but still continues to assure that soon everything on earth should change. True, he now adds that happiness does not exist, and the main task of people is to work.

Chebutykin tries to amuse those around him with various puns, but the pain caused by loneliness breaks through in them.

Natasha, having become Andrei's wife, gradually takes over the entire house. The Prozorov sisters consider her a bourgeois.

Part 3

3 years have passed. There is a fire in the city. People fleeing from him gathered in the Prozorovs' house.

Irina sobs in despair that her life is in vain and she will never go to Moscow. Masha is also worried about her life and the future. Andrei is disappointed in his own marriage, he says that when he got married, he thought they would be happy, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Tuzenbach is even more upset, because 3 years ago he imagined a very happy life, but everything remained only dreams.

Chebutykin goes on a drinking binge. He thinks about loneliness, about human essence, and cries.

Only Kulygin stubbornly insists that he is happy with everything. Against this background, it becomes more and more obvious how unhappy and broken everyone is.

Part 4

Autumn is approaching. The artillery brigade leaves the city - it is transferred to another place. The officers come to say goodbye to the Prozorovs. Taking photos for memory, everyone talks about how quiet, calm and boring it will be here now.

Masha says goodbye to Vershinin, with whom she is passionately in love. She considers her life a failure and says that she doesn't need anything else. Olga becomes the head of the gymnasium and realizes that she will never get to Moscow.

Irina also says goodbye to her dreams of the capital and decides to become Tuzenbach’s wife. The girl is preparing for the start of a new life, and Chebutykin is very happy for her. In addition, the old man advises Andrei to leave the city at least somewhere: “Go without looking back. And the further you go, the better.”

The action takes place in the provincial town, in the house Prozorov.

Irina, the youngest of three Prozorov sisters, turns twenty years old. “It’s sunny and fun outside,” and a table is being set in the hall to await guests - officers of the artillery battery stationed in the city and its new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin. Everyone is full of joyful expectations and hopes. Irina: “I don’t know why my soul is so light!... It’s like I’m on sails, there’s a wide blue sky above me and big white birds are flying around.” The Prozorovs are scheduled to move to Moscow in the fall. The sisters have no doubt that their brother Andrei will go to university and eventually become a professor. Kulygin, a gymnasium teacher, the husband of one of the sisters, Masha, is grateful. Chebutykin, a military doctor who once madly loved the Prozorovs’ late mother, succumbs to the general joyful mood. “My white bird,” he kisses Irina touchingly. Lieutenant Baron Tuzenbach speaks with enthusiasm about the future: “The time has come […] a healthy, strong storm is being prepared, which […] will blow away laziness, indifference, prejudice towards work, rotten boredom from our society.” Vershinin is equally optimistic. With his appearance, Masha’s “merechlyundia” goes away. The atmosphere of relaxed cheerfulness is not disturbed by the appearance of Natasha, although she herself is terribly embarrassed by large society. Andrei proposes to her: “Oh youth, wonderful, wonderful youth! […] I feel so good, my soul is full of love, delight... My dear, good, pure, be my wife!”

But already in the second act, major notes are replaced by minor ones. Andrey can't find a place for himself because of boredom. He, who dreamed of a professorship in Moscow, is not at all attracted by the position of secretary of the zemstvo government, and in the city he feels “alien and lonely.” Masha is finally disappointed in her husband, who once seemed to her “terribly learned, smart and important,” and among his fellow teachers she simply suffers. Irina is not satisfied with her work at the telegraph office: “What I wanted so much, what I dreamed about, is not in it. Work without poetry, without thoughts...” Olga returns from the gymnasium, tired and with a headache. Not in the spirit of Vershinin. He still continues to assure that “everything on earth must change little by little,” but he immediately adds: “And how I would like to prove to you that there is no happiness, there should not be and will not be for us... We must only work and work..." In Chebutykin's puns, with which he amuses those around him, hidden pain breaks through: "No matter how you philosophize, loneliness is a terrible thing..."

Natasha, who is gradually taking control of the whole house, sends out the guests who were waiting for the mummers. "Philistine!" - Masha says to Irina in her hearts.

He blesses Andrei in his own way for the “flight”: “You know, put on your hat, pick up a stick and go away... leave and go, go without looking back. And the further you go, the better.”