person
Nikolai Sazonov
Sazonov
also: Сазонов, Н. Ф. Сазонов, Nikolai Fyodorovich Sazonov
Nikolai Fyodorovich Sazonov (1843-1902), a leading actor of the Imperial Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, known for refined character and comic roles. Named by the journalist as one of several respected Petersburg actors, in contrast to the noble father's blanket claim that no good actors remain in Russia.
Reading notes
- To A. S. Suvorin, 30 December 1888. Moscow. §23 how is it not awkward to hand Ivanov over to Sazonov or Dalmatov?
Two actors named as being considered for the role of Ivanov in the new Petersburg production; Nikolai Sazonov and Vasily Dalmatov, both established Alexandrinsky-circle actors elsewhere in this corpus.
- To A. S. Suvorin, 3 January 1889. Moscow. §5 Sazonov
PROBABLE, not certain: identified here only by surname ("Сазонов"), consistent with, Nikolai Fyodorovich Sazonov, a leading actor of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. The role under discussion here -- whether he is available to play Ivanov -- is the same casting question independently raised the very next day in the sibling letter (to Davydov, 4 January 1889, \S5: "But then who will play Ivanov? Mr. Sazonov, they say, is engaged in another play."); the two mentions almost certainly refer to the same person and should share this entity_id (see crossrefs).
- To V. N. Davydov, 4 January 1889. Moscow. §5 But then who will play Ivanov? Mr. Sazonov, they say, is engaged in another play.
"Mr. Sazonov" is almost certainly Nikolai Fyodorovich Sazonov, a leading Alexandrinsky Theatre actor already established elsewhere in this corpus (cf. "kritik"), and a natural candidate to take over the title role of Ivanov if Davydov moves to Lebedev. The source gives only the bare surname "Сазонов," so the identification, while very probable given the theatrical context, is contextual rather than certain.
- To L. S. Suvorin, 25 November 1889. Moscow. §8 Actors never observe ordinary people
A class-inflected generalization: Chekhov argues actors as a professional class only know the demimonde (taverns, kept women, card sharps, billiard markers) and are ignorant of landowners, merchants, priests, and officials -- i.e., of respectable society. The jab is presented at full force, matching the source's contemptuous tone toward the acting profession's social range, not softened into a milder statement about craft limitations.