Chekhov is known as the greatest short story writer the world has ever known, and one of the most influential figures on successive generations of short story writers in the history of world literature. He left behind an unparalleled legacy of unique narrative works, written in an economical language that avoids preaching and rejects prejudice. There are no superheroes or absolute evil, only ordinary people navigating life with all its contradictions and complexities. His stories lack traditional plots and dramatic tension, instead offering a moment of raw, quiet humanity that illuminates people's lives in the shadows, becoming a testament to the artistry of literature at its finest. Al-Rafidain presents, for the first time in Arabic, the complete short stories of Chekhov, an unprecedented literary treasure, translated directly from Russian by a team of leading Arab translators over a five-year project. The first part represents the beginnings of Chekhov's literary awareness and early maturity amidst harsh circumstances. In 1877, his family moved to Moscow to escape bankruptcy after his father's shop closed in Taganrog, where he had remained to complete his secondary education. His keen observation and satire of society emerged, and the seeds of his style began to sprout. In 1880, he enrolled in medical school in Moscow and became the breadwinner for his family. He began writing articles and short stories for profit, not for artistic merit, in satirical magazines under pseudonyms. His writing at that time relied on irony, but it paved the way for the leaps that followed. It was a transitional phase from a destitute boy to the young man who would forever change the short story.