Rol’ ženščiny v izbrannych korotkich rasskazach (1895-1903) A.P. Čechov: “ženskij vopros” v svete gendernoj podchoda

The aim of this article is to outline the social and cultural situation in Russia at the end of the 19th century through a methodological gender approach. The protagonists of the short stories composed by Chekhov between 1895 and 1903, which in some ways also recall the female characters of his previous works, are indeed new characters who embody those female types that belong more closely to the Silver Age. Women figures of these stories, rather than representing stereotypes, which are the result of generally accepted ethical norms and fixed models deriving from patriarchal cultural and social settings, propose original life paths whose guidelines refer to principles such as the coherence of their actions and thoughts. In this way, they highlight women's awareness of their role and value in society. The gender methodological approach makes it possible to draw a new hermeneutics of the Chekhovian heroines, understanding how their inner world was often affected by strong social conditioning.