A Ilha de Sacalina

by Anton Chekhov, Júlia Ferreira (Tradutora), José Cláudio (Tradutor)

nan

Genres: Nonfiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Classics, History, Travel, Literature

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1895

About the author

Antón Chéjov (Spanish)

Dramas, such as The Seagull (1896, revised 1898), and including "A Dreary Story" (1889) of Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, also Chekov, concern the inability of humans to communicate.

Born ( Антон Павлович Чехов ) in the small southern seaport of Taganrog, the son of a grocer. His grandfather, a serf, bought his own freedom and that of his three sons in 1841. He also taught to read. A cloth merchant fathered Yevgenia Morozova, his mother.

"When I think back on my childhood," Chekhov recalled, "it all seems quite gloomy to me." Tyranny of his father, religious fanaticism, and long nights in the store, open from five in the morning till midnight, shadowed his early years. He attended a school for Greek boys in Taganrog from 1867 to 1868 and then Taganrog grammar school. Bankruptcy of his father compelled the family to move to Moscow. At the age of 16 years in 1876, independent Chekhov for some time alone in his native town supported through private tutoring.

In 1879, Chekhov left grammar school and entered the university medical school at Moscow. In the school, he began to publish hundreds of short comics to support his mother, sisters and brothers. Nicholas Leikin published him at this period and owned Oskolki (splinters), the journal of Saint Petersburg. His subjected silly social situations, marital problems, and farcical encounters among husbands, wives, mistresses, and lust; even after his marriage, Chekhov, the shy author, knew not much of whims of young women.

Nenunzhaya pobeda , first novel of Chekhov, set in 1882 in Hungary, parodied the novels of the popular Mór Jókai. People also mocked ideological optimism of Jókai as a politician.

Chekhov graduated in 1884 and practiced medicine. He worked from 1885 in Peterburskaia gazeta.

In 1886, Chekhov met H.S. Suvorin, who invited him, a regular contributor, to work for Novoe vremya, the daily paper of Saint Petersburg. He gained a wide fame before 1886. He authored The Shooting Party , his second full-length novel, later translated into English. Agatha Christie used its characters and atmosphere in later her mystery novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . First book of Chekhov in 1886 succeeded, and he gradually committed full time. The refusal of the author to join the ranks of social critics arose the wrath of liberal and radical intelligentsia, who criticized him for dealing with serious social and moral questions but avoiding giving answers. Such leaders as Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Leskov, however, defended him. "I'm not a liberal, or a conservative, or a gradualist, or a monk, or an indifferentist. I should like to be a free artist and that's all..." Chekhov said in 1888.

The failure of The Wood Demon , play in 1889, and problems with novel made Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a period. In 1890, he traveled across Siberia to Sakhalin, remote prison island. He conducted a detailed census of ten thousand convicts and settlers, condemned to live on that harsh island. Chekhov expected to use the results of his research for his doctoral dissertation. Hard conditions on the island probably also weakened his own physical condition. From this journey came his famous travel book.

Chekhov practiced medicine until 1892. During these years, Chechov developed his concept of the dispassionate, non-judgmental author. He outlined his program in a letter to his brother Aleksandr: "1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of political-social-economic nature; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions of persons and objects; 4. extreme brevity; 5. audacity and originality; flee the stereotype; 6. compassion." Because he objected that the paper conducted against [a:Alfred Dreyfu

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading Volume 1 of 1984 by Haruki Murakami, I wanted to read this book. Indeed, Murakami inserts some pages of Chekhov's story in his novel.
When Chekhov went to the island in the 1880s, he left without authorization, but as soon as he arrived, he obtained permission to visit what he wanted.
For a few months, he will share the lives of all the people on the island, both representatives of authority and those sentenced.
He will be able to visit even "the prison of the recidivists." he will also attend a punishment which he will find very brutal, the application of the shots of the rods (the whip).
He will soon realize that individual sentences are arbitrary, depending on the guards' humanity; some try to soften a little life on the island; others resort to force and humiliation and are evidence of sadism.
Chekhov, a doctor, will give a minute account of the sanitary conditions of the island, where mass prostitution, alcoholism, and tuberculosis. Reign supreme, and where had provided little care. Then, finally, he will draw up an implacable indictment of the methods of repression employed, methods which do not permit any amendment, on the contrary.
I particularly appreciated the pages concerning the Indigenous populations: the Ghiniaks and Ainis, peaceful peoples better adapted to the climatic conditions who ate almost exclusively whales and had never washed!
The author shows us a micro-society with the prisoners who presented better than others, those who traded in alcohol and cigarettes; he shows us discussions of the too-great distance from Moscow in some sentences without knowledge of the field. Initiatives were full of goodwill that missed their goal, like the harvests of clothes and toys made in Moscow by charitable works that did not arrive in the right place. The climate of the island itself is a punishment per se. In the very short summer, the temperatures do not exceed 15 degrees; otherwise, for the rest of the year, temperatures can reach - 40, making working conditions even more inhuman.
The author will say that he will never be the same again when he returns from Sakhalin.
It is sometimes tedious and repetitive, but it remains a magnificent memory work.

[Pavel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every great writer has some sort of cliche with which public stigmatize her or him. Tolstoy or Proust are too long, Dostoevsky is too gloomy. Chekhov also has one: that he is vague. Impressionistic, water-color poetic writer. None of those cliches are true, but Chekhov's one is especially wrong. It is even wrong for his latest short stories, where indeed there is a lot of poetry, but still strong plot and concrete, taken-from-life characters are the main literary tool, never mind his early humorous short stories and comic sketches for the scene. But this book, Sakhalin Island is the loudest answer to this accusation.
Chekhov spent three months on Sakhalin Island, interviewing convicts and settlers for a census (it was a katorga island, a penal colony back then). This census thing gave Chekov right to enter each house, each cell block and speak with each settler or a convict he wanted to. He spent half a year to get there (train, sea, horses), earned tuberculosis on this way and went out with the most horrifying, detailed testimony to what was happening there. Floggings, hunger, vigilanteism, forced prostitution, child prostitution, mass murders of indigenous communities were described correctly, somewhat microscopically I would say and heartbreakingly. What Chekhov achieved in Sakhalin Island was perceived as a work of social science, not literature, back when it was written. And indeed it contains a lot of statistics and demographic research numbers and extracts from documents. but it is non-fiction as we would call it nowadays, it shouldn't become a problem for today's reader.
Chekhov has changed after this trip and this book. He never wrote short funny stories again and all his great plays (except Ivanov) were written after that. What he saw there and what he described in this book angered him and clearly haunted to the end of his days.

[Jan-Maat]

Odd book in that Chekhov's style and concerns don't seem to marry up with the rest of his writing. I'm not aware of his having made any use of the Sakhalin material in any of his short stories for example. Interestingly you get a sense of Chekhov's professional interests as a medical Doctor. He collects statistics on health and mortality as he travels round the island.

This book is one of those roads not taken, if one may describe a travel book in such a counter intuitive way, but his short fiction is alive with social details in a way that this longer book with its statistics is not. The human mind is alive to stories, "In the Ravine" or "My Life" plainly come from the same pen - all that has changed is the means of expression.

At the time of Chekhov's visit Sakhalin was used as a penal colony, something like a Russian version of Australia. Prisoners became colonists on completion of their sentences.

Chekhov leaves us with a distinct impression of the differences between the northern and southern parts of the island, however within a few years Russia was to cede the slightly friendlier from the point of view of the climate allowing some agriculture Southern Sakhalin to the Japanese as part of the peace agreement following on from the 1905 Russo-Japanese War by which time Chekhov himself was dead.

[Mia Nisiyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

my school's curriculum did not include sakhalin island, even though it was, in fact, on sakhalin and we read a lot of chekhov in my literature class.

one can argue the reason for that is that this book is too bleak and depressing for a young reader, but then again we are talking about russia here. a place, where 16 year olds are forced to analyse war and peace and write full-blown literary essays on raskolnikov's actions as an example of nihilism and manifestation of the ubermensch concept.

there were men and women of working age, old folks and children, but there were absolutely no young people. it seemed that here was nobody on sakhalin between thirteen and twenty years of age. and i reluctantly asked myself, "doesn't this mean that when the young people are old enough they leave the island at the first opportunity?

sakhalin island is one of the greatest works of journalism from the nineteenth century because unlike many other major journalistic works from that time, this book has not aged. i was born and brought up on the island and left when i was 17. as i was reading chekhov's reminiscence about his first encounter with the sakhalin crowd, i could't help myself but feel extremely harrowed, rootless, abandoned — angry, hurt and sad. more than 130 years has passed since he published this book, but little has changed in the general sentiment of the young islanders.

i am a russian born japanese with no ties to my ethnic homeland so i was genuinely fascinated reading chekhov demarcating the japanese from the russians. in 1869 sakhalin, the largest of russia's islands, was officially announced to be a zone of 'penal servitude and exile' and until the beginning of the 20th century the majority of its citizens were convicts. to this day it remains one of the most interesting and controversial constituents of russia. formerly a part of japan, during world war 2, tens of thousands of korean labourers were taken to the island to work for the japanese empire's war effort. a couple years later, sakhalin became a spoil of war and was given to the USSR along with the kuril islands, leaving the koreans on the island stuck in a limbo that many remain in today. the status of sakhalin and, to a greater extent, the kuril islands has dominated relations between modern russia and japan. today sakhalin is one of the least visited parts of russia, basting amazing nature, japanese historical relics, and soviet history.

chekhov spent months on the island meeting with convicts and collecting information on every person he met. he filled in more than 7400 census cards and in 1895 issued this book - a true story about the miserable life of sakhalin convicts. it is clearly based on scientific method. chekhov carefully describes his data cards, the methods, and the difficulties of data collection. he presents his findings systematically, settlement by settlement. during his stay on sakhalin, he witnessed the appalling conditions and treatment many of the inmates and settlers were forced to endure. he took a particular interest in the intellectual needs of the colony’s children, later collecting and sending a library of over 2,200 books to sakhalin. he also came into contact with the island’s indigenous peoples and observed first-hand the devastating effects of colonialisation on their communities.

this book drew attention to the previously obscure sakhalin colony and added to the growing pressure to reform the russian penal system. ironically, now that it is mostly forgotten, sakhalin too remains an underfunded, chronically poor, prospectless place. in soviet russia depression struggles with you, eh?

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nestas notas da viagem que Tchékhov fez à colónia penal da Ilha de Sacalina em 1890 são-nos descritas de forma pormenorizada todas as incidências da vida dos condenados e condenadas (e por vezes das famílias que os acompanham...), dos deportados, dos colonos, das populações nativas e dos funcionários da colónia penitenciária.

Trata-se de uma visão pessoal do autor resultante da constatação dos factos in loco e de uma análise baseada em relatos anteriores a respeito da ilha delineados por aventureiros, oficiais, funcionários do estado, padres e médicos que por ali passaram. Temos, assim, acesso a um documento precioso pela quantidade e relevância da informação transmitida, maravilhosamente transmitida pelo génio sensível, atento e humano de um escritor como Tchékhov.

É particularmente comovente a forma como a palavra "saudade" se difunde no relato... A saudade de quem se sabe perdido nas névoas gélidas e impenetráveis de uma ilha de pesadelo, tão próxima e tão distante da Mãe-Rússia. E é a saudade, um desespero silencioso e a vontade férrea de "sentir" a liberdade que impelem um grande número de prisioneiros a tentar a fuga:

"Uns evadem-se, esperando andar em liberdade uma semana ou um mês; outros contentam-se só com um dia. Um dia apenas, mas que seja meu!" (P. 261)

A brutalidade dos castigos corporais praticados (chicotadas) perturba o autor, afasta-o por momentos do cenário que classifica de repugnante mas, ainda assim, fá-lo regressar para impor o seu relato fidedigno ao leitor (parece sentir-se moralmente obrigado a tal...) a quem se dirige, aliás, com frequência:

"Vou para a rua, onde o silêncio é cortado pelos gritos lancinantes que vêm da sala dos guardas e que se devem ouvir, julgo eu, por toda a cidade. Um deportado à paisana passa na rua, olha de relance para a sala dos vigilantes e no seu rosto e até no seu andar transparece o medo. Entro de novo na sala, volto a sair... O inspector continua a contar." (P.255)

Sadicamente apreciados por um enfermeiro militar que insiste para assistir à aplicação do castigo, rematando no final:

"- Eu gosto de assistir a isto! - diz-me o enfermeiro militar, com um ar satisfeito, encantado por ter podido desfrutar deste repugnante espectáculo." (P.255)

Assombrou-me também a forma como as pessoas eram reduzidas a "nada", a pó, tanto em vida como depois de mortas:

"As pequenas cruzes das campas dos deportados são todas iguais e todas anónimas. (...) mas de todos esses homens que repousam sob aquelas pequenas cruzes, desses homens que mataram, que arrastaram correntes, que se evadiram, ninguém terá necessidade de se lembrar deles. Talvez, em algum lugar da estepe ou da floresta russa, junto a uma fogueira, um velho carroceiro levado pelo aborrecimento conte os crimes de um bandido da sua aldeia. Então o seu interlocutor olhará para a escuridão e sentirá um arrepio, uma ave nocturna piará, e nisso consistirá toda a recordação." (P.233)

Também a forma como as mulheres eram "comercializadas" na ilha é chocante e o autor não nos poupa à cruel realidade do seu destino, um destino ao serviço do homem, para satisfação de todas as necessidades do homem. Escravas das suas determinações. Foi com especial asco que li essas terríveis páginas...

Em resumo, uma leitura densa mas, na minha perspectiva, essencial para penetrar na(s) mentalidade(s) russa(s) daquele final de século (com grandes mudanças no horizonte) e para conhecer melhor as ideias e convicções de um homem chamado Anton Tchékhov que um dia decidiu embarcar rumo a Sacalina.

[Kristīne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pārāk sausi un neitrāli. Izgaismotas sociālās nejēdzības, pārvaldes problēmas. Jā, interesanti, bet skaitļi un procenti ļoti nogurdina.
Izbaudīju epizodes, kurās Čehovs atļāvās būt daiļrunīgs un līdzjūtīgs. Viss pārējais teksts tikai aptuveni iedzina šausmas, patieso izmisuma stāvokli grūti iztēloties, jo autors uz visu noskatās ļoti distancēti.

Tagad eju googlēt, kas tad no šī taisnības eksperimenta ir sanācis, un kas Sahalīnā notiek mūsdienās.

[Vasko Genev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Трудно ми е да дам оценка на това документално произведение. Представлява нещо като пътепис или по-скоро записки в процеса на преброяване на населението. Сухи цифри, статистика и сбор от трагедии довели каторжниците на острова.

Изключително угнетяваща атмосфера. Напълно се изяснява фактът, защо този остров и до днес не е "стопанисван" като хората. Няма как каторжници, които живеят по-зле от кучета и само с една мисъл в главата си как да избягат, да създадат общност. Всичко е било обречено в самото начало. Да не говорим за статута на жената, превърната в предмет за удоволствие, за размяна и печалба, като почти същата участ са имали и децата.

Представям си нещо като островът на доктор Моро.

ПП. Забележете, о-в Сахалин е само на стотина километра от японския Хокайдо, и каква колосална разлика ...!

Сахалин:
https://www.google.bg/maps/@46.432771...

Хокайдо:
https://www.google.bg/maps/@45.522278...

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Anton Chekhov is essentially a report he writes for the government describing life on the exile Island of Sakhalin off the east coast of Russia, just above japan. I was thoroughly engaged by this book even though it was slow going -- as slow going as the marshy, cold, wet atmosphere of Sakhalin. I give it 4 stars because I learned something and it's an important book. However it is only for Chekhov fans who are hungry to learn more about this man. It would not be entertaining for the recreational reader. While I was reading it and simultaneously researching it on the internet, I came across a blogger who seemed almost angry at Chekhov because he takes this trip into country that is dangerous to his health and thereby shortens his life, depriving us of more of his genius. He further states that it does not even give inspiration to his four major plays that come after. I see so much reflection in his political understanding of human nature that is touched on in all four of the major plays. He tells of how the exiles while away their lives with cards, like addicts, while they ignore the work that needs to be done to better their lives. In Act IV of Seagull, four people jovially play at cards while a young man kills himself in the next room.

[Anina e gambette di pollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titolo: L’isola di Sachalin
Autore: russo (1860-1904). Reportage di viaggio.

Un Cechov insolito accurato estensore di un testo di viaggio, antropologia, economia e geografia sull’universo lontano, gelato, ventoso dell’isola di Sachalin, lunghissima e stretta striscia di terra a sud (geograficamente parlando, non climaticamente) della Camciatca.

Luogo di deportazione, di colonizzazione e di insediamento di piccole etnie locali.

Deve essere letto con calma per la quantità di informazioni e la tristezza delle stesse.
Nessuno sta bene, neppure chi sta meglio.
Vite che cavalcano la linea sul limite del mondo, a contatto con una natura che se l’avesse vissuta Leopardi quella a lui nota sarebbe apparsa insignificante. Ma ho detto una sciocchezza perché autore più adatto sarebbe stato Byron o il Poe del maelstrom….


20.12.2017

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

W lipcu 1890 roku Anton Czechow udał się na będącą miejscem zsyłek i katorgi odległą wyspę Sachalin. Spędził tam 3 miesiące dokonując spisu ludności. Ogromna liczba wywiadów z osadnikami i katorżnikami oraz liczne notatki dokumentujące życie codzienne mieszkańców i spostrzeżenia Czechowa dotyczące samej wyspy - jej geografii, historii itd. zaowocowały wydaną w 1893 roku książką “Wyspa Sachalin. Notatki z podróży”.

“Sachalin” odkrywa przed czytelnikiem zupełnie inną nieznaną stronę Czechowa. Okazuje się bowiem, że Rosjanin był nie tylko wybitnym nowelistą i dramatopisarzem, ale i doskonałym reporterem - skrupulatnym, dociekliwym, był człowiekiem potrafiącym słuchać, przed którym rozmówcy sami z siebie się otwierali. Poziomem literatura faktograficzna Czechowa nie odbiega znacząco od beletrystyki jego autorstwa. “Wyspę Sachalin”, mimo, że nie można nie zauważyć jej monotonności i powtarzalności, czyta się na jednym wdechu. Jakże jednostajna i nużąca byłaby to lektura gdyby wyszła spod pióra przeciętnego autora. Ponad połowę książki stanowią opisy kolejnych odwiedzanych przez autora okręgów wyspy i tu schemat jest niezmienny - Czechow omawia historię regionu, jego geografię i przyrodę, następnie przechodzi do społeczeństwa i spraw z nim związanych - przedstawia wygląd i stan obozów, demografię i przekrój typów zamieszkujących je więźniów, stosunki i postawy napływowych względem ludów autochtonicznych, przybliża życie codzienne mieszkańców - pracę, edukację, nieliczne skąpo dostępne rozrywki, a także prezentuje i twarde dane - jak najróżniejsze statystyki. A wszystko to powołując się na osobiste rozmowy z napotkanymi mieszkańcami Sachalinu i zdecydowanie bardziej obiektywne źródła - dokumenty i archiwa.
Drugą połowę swojego dzieła Czechow poświęca już niemal wyłącznie mieszkańcom wyspy - a w szczególności więźniom. Jeden po drugim, każdy spory rozdział (z pomniejszymi podrozdziałami) poświęca na drobiazgowe omówienie kolejnych istotnych kwestii - m.in. sytuacji kobiet, małżeństwom, przestępczości, gospodarce rolnej, ucieczkom i zajęciom zesłańców, a także ich pożywieniu, odzieży, piśmiennictwie itd. Osobiście najciekawszy dla mnie był rozdział traktujący o chorobach, śmiertelności i lecznictwie na wyspie. Czy wiedzieliście np. że ówcześnie należące do najczęściej występujących w rozwiniętych krajach choroby śmiertelno-zakaźne i epidemiczne takie jak ospa, dur brzuszny czy tyfus na Sachalinie były praktycznie nieznane. Równie interesujące były rozdziały poświęcone rzadkim rdzennym mieszkańcom wyspy. Zaskakująca, niebywale oryginalna, a i dla współczesnego wykształconego człowieka szokująca była ich kultura, wyznania, obyczaje i tryb życia. Np. zaliczający się do tubylców Ajnowie nigdy się nie myją i śpią w tym, w czym chodzą, brzydzą ich kłamstwo i przemoc, która do tego napawa ich grozą. Inna rdzenna ludność - grubokościści, niscy Giliacy pożywiają się wyłącznie mięsem - uprawę ziemi uznają za wielki grzech, a tego kto zacznie w niej kopać bądź coś posadzi - na pewno czeka szybka śmierć. Ci również się nie myją, a gruba, futrzana odzież nigdy o praniu nie słyszała - przez co bijące od nich smród i odór, przywodzące na myśl psujące się rybie flaki, są nie do zniesienia.

Sięgając po “Wyspę Sachalin” byłam przygotowana na książkę w znacznej mierze, jeśli nawet nie wyłącznie, traktującą o prawzorze Gułagu. Tymczasem dostałam znacznie więcej. Owszem, opisy katastrofalnych warunków, w jakich żyją więźniowie - brak higieny, niedobór pożywienia, maksymalna liczba osób ściśnięta na jednym metrze oraz ich spędzanej na ciężkiej, wymagającej i wyniszczającej fizycznie pracy codzienności zajmują sporą część książki, jednak równie sporo uwagi Czechow poświęca i samej wyspie wraz z jej “prawymi” mieszkańcami - a jest to zagadnienie równie ciekawe co łagry. Wkradająca się przy dłuższym czytaniu monotonia jest praktycznie nieodczuwalna i nie wpływa negatywnie ani na przebieg ani na końcowy odbiór lektury, a to dzięki wspaniałym barwnym, nierzadko dowcipnym, anegdotom gęsto wplatanym przez rosyjskiego klasyka, jak i jego błyskotliwym, celnym spostrzeżeniom oraz mocno działającym na wyobraźnię plastycznym opisom. Wielce interesująca i wartościowa pozycja!

instagram

[Cali · Rating 3 out of 5]

mr chekhov... please include more flowering verses. i know u can do it. death, disease, dismay - the misogyny was almost welcome as a break. the end of Chapter 21 about the innocent hanged man broke me. a devastating, but important moment.

[Dario Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aos 30 anos e já um autor consagrado, Tchéchov viajou até a ilha de Sacalina, no extremo leste russo, para investigar a colônia penal que lá existia. Foram três meses de viagem por terra – ainda não fora construída a ferrovia transiberiana. Algo nada fácil para quem já era tuberculoso. Ficou na ilha por três meses. O resultado, escrito entre 1891 e 1894, foi publicado em vida em revista. Em livro, só depois de sua morte.
Difícil dizer o que o atraiu tanto para visitar um lugar no fim do mundo, por assim dizer. Ele se preparou muito para a viagem e isso é perceptível no livro, que traz uma vastidão de informações sobre a ilha, sua geografia, sua história, sua população.
Sacalina é inóspita até os padrões de quem é acostumado com os rigores do inverno. Segundo ele, “...no inverno e quando o tempo está ruim, ou seja, dez meses por ano, em média, é necessário contentar-se apenas com as janelinhas de ventilação e com as estufas”...
Sacalina é quase como um lugar fora do tempo e do espaço, um outro planeta. Esse estranhamento ele relata e inclusive afirma que “Aqui, a moralidade é diferente da nossa”. É como se aqueles presos, tivessem a estranha liberdade, ou talvez possibilidade, de deixar as amarras morais de lado: “A atitude cavalheiresca com as mulheres chega quase às alturas de um culto e, ao mesmo tempo, não se considera condenável ceder a própria esposa a um amigo em troca de dinheiro” ou “Hoje em dia, também acontece de pessoas comerem madeira apodrecida com sal e até de devorarem umas às outras, mas isso não diz respeito aos turistas nem aos funcionários”...
Na segunda metade do livro, ele trata de questões mais particulares – mulheres, crianças, prisioneiros, colonos, indígenas, castigos, execuções, população livre, comida, hospitais e por ai.
O capítulo em que ele trata das mulheres é bem representativo da realidade encontrada: “A prática local produziu uma visão especial da mulher forçada, que existe, provavelmente, em todas as colônias de deportados: que ela não é uma pessoa, uma dona de casa, mas uma criatura inferior até mesmo a um animal doméstico. Os colonos do povoado de Siska entregaram ao chefe do distrito o seguinte pedido: ‘Pedimos muito humildemente a Vossa Excelentíssima que mande gado para a produção leiteira para a localidade mencionada abaixo e também o sexo feminino, para cuidar da vida doméstica’ (...) A dignidade humana e também a feminilidade e o pudor da mulher forçada não são levados em conta em nenhum caso, como se o pressuposto fosse que tudo isso tivesse queimado dentro dela até virar cinza...”
Essa sensação de um mundo em que as regras são outras permanece no capítulo em que ele trata da moral da população deportada: “Nos deportados, observam-se defeitos e perversões peculiares sobretudo a pessoas privadas de liberdade, escravizadas, famintas e constantemente atemorizadas. A dissimulação, a astúcia, a covardia, a pusilanimidade, a delação, o roubo, toda sorte de vícios secretos ¬– aí está o arsenal empregado pela população humilhada, ou pelo menos por grande parte dela, contra os chefes e os guardas penitenciários, que eles não respeitam, mas temem e consideram seus inimigos”.
O livro é um pouco de reportagem, relato antropológico e sociológico, diário de viagem e diário pessoa. É interessantíssimo, em especial se o leitor tem algum interesse no sistema penal, inclusive aquele que existe antes, digamos, das inovações mais modernas.
Por outro lado, não é uma leitura para qualquer um. Alguns trechos são realmente enfadonhos no detalhismo e na preocupação de descrever os elementos constitutivos daquela realidade que ele encontrou na ilha.

[Cintia Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Em 1890, Tchékhov propõe-se a visitar a Ilha de Sacalina, que era utilizada como colônia penal pela Rússia, para fazer um recenseamento da população da ilha e entender melhor a condição dos seus habitantes.
Apesar de ter inspirado sua produção ficcional posterior (como o excelente conto "Enfermaria número 6" (em O Beijo e Outras Histórias), é uma obra bastante diferente de todas as outras do autor. A Ilha de Sacalina é um texto longo e descritivo, no qual o autor passa páginas e páginas descrevendo a geografia da ilha, o clima, a população e a organização do trabalho, da renda e das hierarquias presentes. Apesar de ser um texto bastante detalhado e científico (ao menos na primeira parte), não deixa de ser interessante em nenhum momento.
A parte final do texto, onde o texto fica mais subjetivo e Tchékhov descreve a situação das mulheres, a moral dos prisioneiros, as fugas, os tratamentos médicos e as injustiças relacionadas ao ganha-pão dos prisioneiros e colonos, é toda muito boa e é onde o autor demonstra um senso de humanidade e justiça que dialoga bastante com sua produção literária.
Junto com Recordações da Casa dos Mortos e Na Colônia Penal, é um excelente texto para se pensar os excessos e horrores cometidos pela humanidade através do sistema penal ao longo da história.

[Srdjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iako sam znao da Čehovljev obilazak Sahalina 1890. godine nije bio turističke prirode, ipak sam očekivao neku vrstu putopisa sa ostrva na kraju svijeta, a ne naučni, čak administrativni rad. Međutim, knjiga je upravo to – socijološka i ekonomska studija sa mnogo statističkih podataka i brojnim, veoma opširnim fusnotama.
Čehov se dobro pazio da ne iskorači iz birokratskog jezika, a mlake naznake književnog izraza primjećuju se vrlo rijetko, tek kod nekih prizora koji su ga, čini se, naročito ganuli. Tako piše o nekim najbjednijim naseljima u kažnjeničkoj koloniji, a uspješan je i jedan opis bičevanja, mada je pisan više novinarskim, nego književnim jezikom.
Da je knjigu napisao neki pronicljivi birokrata ruske krune, odavno bi se na njoj uhvatila tri prsta prašina u nekom moskovskom arhivu, ovako, zbog imena autora, mnogi je čitaju i, vjerovatno poput mene, u njoj traže Čehova koga tamo nema, jer ovdje se on bavio nekim sasvim drugim poslom koji nema veze sa pisanjem priča i drama u kojima uživamo.

[Stefan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unless you are very interested in statistics, Russian deportation and imprisonment statistics to be clear, I'd stay away from this. Bland enumeration of facts from the colonial Russia system that uses deportation as a tool to colonize the most austere Eastern part of it. The book leaves almost no place for your imagination, since it just states the obvious using statistical numbers. 1402 prisoners, 534 women, 39543 men, 3 districts, harsh conditions, bla bla, etc. etc. It's just a statistical crap show each and every chapter with rare creative episodes that are not worth the pain of going through this. I instantly gave away the book, I am pretty sure I will never ever get close to it again if God helps me. RIP.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chekhov spent 11 weeks on the penal colony of Sakhalin in 1890. This book is an account of his time on the island: a time when he made it his business to visit every community, every stratum of society there. Prisoners; convicts who were permitted to live in the community; their families who had accompanied them; those who had finished their sentences; law makers; law enforcers; teachers; priests; prostitutes all lived in conditions that varied from harsh to savage to unutterably boring and squalid. This is an illuminating and depressing book, which paints a picture of humanity at its worst, often behaving savagely, without compassion or imagination. Sakhalin is a place to be endured, never enjoyed.

[NeDa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Трите звезди са за огромния труд на Чехов при проучването и обобщаването на значителен обем информация за острова ( дори прави опит за преброяване на населението по време на пътуването си). Но особено първата част на книгата, в която се обхожда почти целия остров селище по селище, придружено със статистически данни за основаване, жители и география, ме измъчи. Втората, в която се описва живота на каторжниците и поселниците, затворите, поминъка и нравите, беше по-динамична и не толкова скучна. Има макар и не много данни и за живота на местните жители там по онова време (1890), гиляците и айно, което всъщност ме заинтригува да прочета книгата.

[Gracia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sakhalin Island is beautifully restrained and unsentimental. It is tremendous. It is haunting.

"In 1890, the thirty-year-old Chekhov, already knowing that he was ill with tuberculosis, undertook an arduous eleven-week journey from Moscow across Siberia to the penal colony on the island of Sakhalin. Now collected here in one volume are the fully annotated translations of his impressions of his trip through Siberia, and the account of his three-month sojourn on Sakhalin Island, together with author's notes, extracts from Chekhov's letters to relatives and associates, and photograph."

[Lorenzo Berardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E.
That's all.

[Chris Mcmanaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a first hand account of life in a penal colony. It shows how penal colonies were a form of globalization. It shows that wow...it is good to have been born today...than yesterday.

[latner3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, fascinating ,harrowing, and terribly sad. An account of life in a Siberian penal colony .Written in 1890 by one of the greats.

[Fabio Ruotolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il reportage dalla colonia penale di Sachalin di un Cechov totalmente diverso da quello che conosciamo.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think many people expect to experience turn-of-the-nineteenth-century peasant and penal life in the depths of Siberia and the Russia pacific island of Sakhalin but this is what Chekhov's book achieves. Reading through the books first half gives a real insight into the overwhelming stoicism and hardship these people had to endure. The rest is a collection of notes that Chekhov put together in response to the inhumane and scary conditions that he saw on Sakhalin... I decided to stop before reading the notes but I am sure I will pick it up again.

[Dhme · Rating 3 out of 5]

مراجعة كتاب من سيبيريا جزيرة ساخالين📖

نبذة عن الكتاب:ينطلق تشيخوف من سيبيريا قاصدًا جزيرة ساخالين هذي الجزيرة الواقعة أقصى شرق سيبيريا والتي تحولت لجزيرة عقاب ترسل إليها السلطات القيصرية عند نهايات القرن التاسع عشر، المجرمين المحكومين ليعيشوا نوعاً من مناف "إصلاحية" تبين في نهاية الأمر، وتحديداً منذ نشر تشيخوف كتابه هذا أنها ليست إصلاحية ولا يحزنون بل هي سجن واسع يعاقب فيه النزلاء بأقصى ما يمكن بحيث أن كثيرًا منهم كانوا يتمنون لو استبدل الحكم عليهم بالإعدام لكان أهون،يمكن تجزئة الكتاب إلى جزئين الجزء الأول رحلته من سيبيريا وهو الجزء الأقصر والأقل ألمًا،يتحدث فيها عن سكان سيبيريا وطبيعتها وجغرافيتها وصعوبات رحلته،الجزء الثاني وهوه الجزء الرئيسي وصوله إلى ساخالين،وتحدث تشيخوف عن السرقة وأدمان السجناء الخمر أو لعب القمار والصبر عن الإهانات والجلد بالعصي وتناول طعام السجن القذر وإرغام النساء على ممارسة الدعارة علاوة على وضع البائس للأطفال الذين رافقو آباءهم وأمهاتهم إلى السجن والمنفى ويورد أحاديثه مع السجناء وتفاصيل مدن الجزيرة ولا يصف طبيعة الجزيرة الفريدة عكس الجزء الأول الذي تطرق فيه عن طبيعة سيبيريا

رأيي في الكتاب:كتاب للكاتب الروسي الكبير أنطون تشيخوف يعد من أفضل ما كتب في أدب اليوميات،يرصد فيها بأسلوبه المبهر ما راه وعايشه طوال الرحلة التي استغرقت 81 يوما على مسافة تزيد عن 2500 ميل،عبر العربة التي تجرها الخيول والسفينة وما لاقاه في هذه الرحلة من آلام،وفقدان للمال وتغيير للعادات،تجاوزت هدفها الأساسي في كتابة التحقيقات مع السجناء،بما أفرزته من سخاء المادة التي حصل عليها وانعكس على نتاجه الأدبي يوميات الجميلة،تحتوي على عديد الرسائل وملاحظاته، تثبت بأن تشيخوف كان رجل عميق،احسست بالملل في بعض الفصول بسبب تطرق الكاتب لأشياء مملة نفس أحصائيات الطقس وطول الجبال لو ماعندك صبر راح تترك الكتاب،كثرة أسماء المدن شيء مزعج ولاتوجد خريطة توضح لك لو أكتفى المترجم في القصص والحياة الأجتماعية بدون التطرق للأشياء المملة بيكون الكتاب متكامل،طرح تشيخوف في هذا الكتاب مسألة ضمير الكاتب وموقفه من المجتمع،وهي مسألة موجوده في الأدب الروسي ولاتجدها في الأدب الأنجليزي او الأمريكي فلا يكتب الأديب الغربي عن جرائم الأستعمار والأحتلال،وتشيخوف جسد مافي ساخالين بكل مصداية وطرح آلام السجناء والمنفيين على أنها قضية يجب أن ينتبه لها المجتمع الروسي

أقتباسات من الكتاب

"اقتربنا من ساخالين غلبتني الكآبة والقلق أكثر لم أكن هادئاً. وعندما علم الضابط الذي كان يرافق الجنود سبب ذهابي إلى ساخالين دهش جداً وصار يؤكد لي أنني لا أتمتع بالحق في الاقتراب من أماكن احتجاز سجناء الأشغال الشاقة والمعتقلات لأنني لست موظفاً حكومياً. طبعاً أنا كنت أعرف أنه ليس لدي حق، لكن مع ذلك جعلتني أقواله أشعر بالفزع وخفت أن أجد في ساخالين أيضاً وجهة النظر هذه"

"إن مولد كل إنسان جديد لا يحظى بالترحيب في الأسرة ولا تنشد التنويمات عند المهد ويتردد فقط العويل المنذر بالسوء"

"واقفا عند النافذة ويتطلع صامتا إلى سقف البيت المجاور بم يفكر في هذا الوقت؟ أنا لا أحب حينما هذا المثقف عن أمور تافهة ويتطلع في وجهي بتعبير كما لو يتحدث معي أنه يريد القول: «أنت ستعود إلى بيتك، بينما أنا لن أعود». أنا لا أحب ذلك لأنني أشعر عندئذ بالشفقة البالغة عليه"

"أن الأطفال غالباً ما يكونون الشيء الوحيد الذي يربط الرجل والمرأة المنفيين بالحياة، وينقذهما من اليأس، ومن السقوط نهائياً"

"إن الجندي في ساخالین ودیع و صموت ومطيع ولا يقرب الخمر وأنا لم أر جنوداً سکارى يصخبون في الشارع إلا في مخفر كورساكوفسك. كما أن الجندي نادراً ما يغني وإذا ما غنى فهو يردد الأغنية ذاتها: «عشر فتيات وأنا وحيد وأينما ذهبت الفتيات أذهب معهن الفتيات يذهبن إلى الغابة وأنا وراءهن إنها أغنية مرحة لكنه يغنيها بكآبة بالغة"

[LeeAnn Heringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1890, renouned author and playwright, Chekhov, sick with tuberculosis and tired of the hothouse pretension of literary Moscow, travelled across Siberia to the penal colony at Sakhalin Island. Without any kind of permission or letters of introduction, he charms his way into barracks and prison cells, interviews governors and overseers, watches lashings, conducts a census the inhabitants. There is a lot of raw data in this book, but he was building a very concise report that, despite official reports to the contrary, Sakhalin was a brutal place and the prisoners lives were very difficult. The goal of European Tzarist Russia was to remove these terrible criminals from society, but rehabilitate them while settling some of the furthest reaches of their empire. There are some comparisons with Botany Bay.

It is a fascinating (if detail heavy) look at Russian toward the end of the nineteenth century, of crime and punishment, of life in the far reaches of the north. The translation is excellent, with lots of detailed notes of how the translator was working within the subtleties and polymorphism of the language and Chekhov's original notes. I found it a great read.

[Luis Cortes Mendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuando comencé su lectura ya fui intuyendo que no era una simple historia. En su lectura pronto te das cuenta que en realidad estamos hablando de casi un diario. De un viaje que seguramente en nuestros días pocos habríamos podido hacer sin volvernos locos por la crueldad que vemos en todos su personajes; todos ellos reales. Y ello a pesar de que el escritor hizo el viaje casi como un privilegiado, no sólo económicamente sino respaldado por entidades.

Cuando sabemos un poco más de este escritor, me doy cuenta que su carácter depresivo es el que para mi parece buscar este tipo de aventuras. Escribir sobre este autor y este libro seria hacerlo bajo una ignorancia que acepto y me rindo a ello sin opinar más. Sólo le he dado 3 estrellas porque lo he valorado literariamente y no por su contenido. Su lectura se me hace complicada al mezclar la historia con los datos estadísticos e históricos que va obteniendo.

[Michael Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chekhov's journey to Sakhalin Island was a really interesting book showing how different life was in those days. Do yourself a favor and do not read the description of the punishment meted out to the prisoner who tried to escape which is described at the end of the book. This is profoundly disturbing - Chekhov was so disturbed he had to leave halfway through and he describes how each Russian was disturbed by it in a different way. The only person who was not disturbed by the punishment was the German medical orderly who had asked in a wheedling tone if he could watch. It is not surprising that the Russian serfs fell upon their masters when you read about things like this going on.

[Arjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Sakhalin Island is an anthropological study of the Sakhalin penal colony. Chekhov visited the island in the 1880’s and describes it in all its facets, the topography, the meteorology, the indigenous population, and the agricultural conditions. He also analyses the objectives and results of exile as a punishment, describes escape routes and common diseases . It’s very informative and readable; over 100 pages of notes to the text also help the uninitiated reader dive in deep. Next up on my reading list, some of his stories and plays!

[Otto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very insightful book, and looking back on it it was very interesting. At the time of reading however, I found parts of it to be kinda boring. It took me a pretty long time to get through it. The way it was written was almost like a research paper at times, yet it somehow manages to be pretty vague - mostly in a good way.
Overall though it was enjoyable and I actually learned a lot from this book :0)

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

rozczarowanie. bardziej spis ludności i inwentarza niż reportaż.