The history of Taganrog is closely intertwined with the life by the outstanding Russian writer Anton Chekhov. There, in a large family of a merchant of the third guild Paul Egorovich Chekhov was born the youngest son - Anton. Anton lived in Taganrog, nearly two decades after graduating from high school after the family moved to Moscow. But childhood spent in his native Taganrog, left in his memory a lasting impression. Many of the events and characters in stories and future stories of the writer born of his youthful experiences in the trade of his father's shop, which was located at the intersection of Alexander and monastery (now - street Peter and Dzerzhinsky).

In colonial goods shop is always crowded crowded due to its advantageous location on the way to the train station and close to shopping malls fairgrounds. People flocked here from the surrounding streets, and visitors certainly looked in the busiest place. Particularly successful marketing move was a sign "tavern and take-away", which does not leave anyone indifferent passing by a potential buyer. But the brothers Anton and the shop was a place of hard work his childhood, which he described later in the story "Vanka" and "sleepy."

The story of "The Man in a Case" Chekhov wrote in May and June 1898, the first time the story was published in the same year in the seventh issue of the "Russian idea" as part of the planned "the Little Trilogy." In a series of stories "Little Trilogy" includes three stories by Anton Chekhov: "Goosebumps" and "On Love", "Man in a Case". Unfortunately, the continuation of a series of stories not followed, first because of the decline of creative activity of the writer, and later work at all was postponed due to the exacerbation of severe illness.

The sculpture "The Man in a Case" is made of bronze and is open on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov, in January 2010. In the competition held by the city administration on the eve of the anniversary of Chekhov, the project won the famous residents of Taganrog sculptor David Begalova. The sculpture illustrates a famous story writer and depicts Chekhov school teacher who became the prototype of the character of his story - Belikov. Two-meter bronze sculpture, in spite of its solid weight - more than five hundred kilograms, is very plastic and expressive. It depicts a thin man in spectacles, with an umbrella that aloof is stooped, as if resisting the pressure of whether the wind, or their own destiny ... The monument has no pedestal, a hunched figure reveals a modern tiled floor of the street and, as it opens the pavement of the old road, returning to the merchant Taganrog.

The sculpture is installed in front of the former school, where at one time studied Chekhov and where I came from the prototype of the character. Today the building is a museum of Anton Chekhov's Literary and sculpture, can be very useful complements the museum.