224 pp,ill.

The almanac "Melikhovo" is a periodic annual publication that features popular science articles and archival materials on the themes related to Chekhov and local history. The eleventh issue of the almanac consists of two main sections. The first one includes articles that examine the social and economic life of Serpukhov District in the late XIX – early XX century both in the context of studying the life and work of Anton Chekhov, and in the broader context of studying zemstvo as a socio-economic, socio-political and cultural phenomenon in Russian society. The articles are based on the presentations made at the research and practice conference "Serpukhov Zemstvo: People, Facts, and Documents" (Melikhovo, 2016). The section "World War I and the Russian provinces: cities and people" is a compilation of publications that reveal little-known aspects of the lives of Russian cities and the fates of prominent individuals during the First World War.

The articles were written on the basis of  the materials from the scientific and practical conference "Pushkin's Descendants - Guardians of Traditions", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War (Chekhov, 2014).