Read Chekhov in Russian. Stay inside the story.
Know some Russian? Read the original with word meanings and translations beside you.
На вокзале Николаевской железной дороги встретились два : один толстый, другой тонкий.
Tap the circled word. Keep your place.
friend · два приятеля means “two friends”
Show the sentence in English
At the station of the Nikolaevsky railway two friends met: the one fat, the other thin.
The complete story. No account or card required.
Saving words to practise takes a free account.
Starting from zero? Try the first beginner lesson free.
Here for Dostoevsky? Start White Nights free →
White Nights
A lonely narrator wanders through St Petersburg and meets someone who changes his nights. Try the first instalment; membership opens the rest.
Open the first instalment →Fat and Thin
Two old acquaintances meet at a railway station. Start with a shorter sitting: the whole story is available without an account.
Read the complete story free →A place to continue
Membership opens the full interactive library, courses and grammar practice in Russian, German, Spanish and French. Save words from your reading, practice them, and return to your place on another device.
€5 a month or €39 a year. Both are recurring subscriptions. Cancel any time.
Both plans begin with 7 free days. Payment details are required; the first charge follows the trial. Cancel before it ends to avoid that charge.
Choose membership →
Full access, billing and cancellation details
Creating a free account is separate from membership. It opens seven complete Chekhov stories and saves your words and progress; it does not start a paid plan or a subscription trial. See exactly what is free.
Start where you are
This reading route is for people who already know some Russian and can use English for help. These are original literary texts, so the sample is the best way to judge the effort for yourself. If you are starting from zero, choose the beginner lesson in the Russian room.
Need help choosing a starting point? Write to Tom with the book you want to read and what you have studied so far.