Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) is considered one of the greatest Russian and world playwrights. He began as an author of humoresques, continued with short stories and novellas, and remains remembered as a storyteller, novelist, and dramatist, representing the movement of naturalism. He is a master of the small observations from which great things originate and endure, a master of the short form, as well as a master of stories and plays. His works "Ivanov" (1887), "Uncle Vanya" (1889), "Three Sisters" (1901), and "The Cherry Orchard" (1904) are today considered pearls of Russian literature and an invaluable treasure of world literature. These are works that have been staged in almost every theater worldwide from their inception to the present day.
The drama "Ivanov" was his first work to be staged in a theater, submitted as a drama in four acts which he wrote in just ten days. It premiered on November 19, 1887, at the Fyodor Korsh Theater in Moscow, which was very popular with the local audience at the time. On the day of the premiere, the audience's reactions were mixed: ranging from thunderous applause to whistling, jumping from seats, and stomping feet, leading even to a brawl in the gallery. Overall, however, the play was a success and was widely noticed. Nevertheless, the production depressed Chekhov himself. In a letter to his brother, he stated: "I do not recognize my own remarks as mine" and complained that the actors "do not know their parts and talk nonsense." Irritated by this, Chekhov made revisions to the drama, making the final version distinct from the first. This revised version was accepted in Saint Petersburg, where it was performed in 1889. The revised version was successful and offered a foreshadowing of the style and themes of his subsequent masterpieces.
In Macedonia, Chekhov was first staged in 1950 at the Theater of Nationalities – Turkish Theater, where the plays "The Bear" and "The Proposal" were performed that year. Since then, over the years, all of his plays have been staged on various scenes. At the NI Macedonian National Theater, the following have been performed to date: "The Seagull" in 1960, 1990, and 2018, directed by Dimitar Kjostarov, Branko Stavrev, and most recently Nina Nikolić; "Three Sisters" in 1970, directed by Ilija Milchin; "The Cherry Orchard" in 1997 and 2010, directed by Trajche Gjorgjiev and Ljubisha Georgievski, respectively; "The Little Man" in 2004, directed by Nino Levi; "Uncle Vanya" in 2015, directed by Zoja Buzalkovska.
 
Today’s production of the drama "Ivanov" is the second staging of the namesake play at the Macedonian National Theater. The first one premiered on October 25, 1984, directed by Branko Stavrev, with set and costume design by Vladimir Georgievski and music selection by Ljupcho Konstantinov. The lead role was portrayed by Risto Shishkov, and the rest of the cast included: Joana Popovska as Anna Petrovna Kiril Kjortoshev as Matvey Semyonovich Shabelsky Dushko Kostovski as Pavel Kirillovich Lebedev Ljupka Dzundeva as Zinaida Savishna Slavica Kovachevikj-Jovanovska and Emilija Andreeva as Sasha Tome Vitanov as Yevgeni Konstantinovich Lvov Katerina Krsteva as Marfa Yegorovna Babakina Chedo Hristov as Dmitriy Nikitich Kosykh Kiril Ristoski as Mikhail Mikhailovich Borkin Cvetanka Jakimovska as Avdotya Nazarovna Aleksandar Shehtanski as Yegorushka Igor Dzambazov as Dudykin Rade Madikj as Gavril