Chekhov never went out of favour even during the Soviet years. His museum opened here for the first time in 1953, and underwent a spring clean in 2003. The objects remain authentic, a little too authentic when you see the tiny metal bed he slept on. It was from this red castle-like house that he left to go on his epic jaunt to Sakhalin, at that time the journey took around three months. It was also here that the music lover, who lived with his mother, brother Mikhail and sister Maria, received patients, continuing his work as a doctor. Tchaikovsky came to thank him for the personal dedication in his book Gloomy People. Also upstairs there are exhibitions following the life of the great writer, a surprising number of photos and a display showing different dramatic productions of his plays around the world.