Documentary artistic merit of the landscape in "Sakhalin island" by Anton Chekhov

The article is devoted to the book of A. Chekhov ««Sakhalin Island» (Travel notes)» and the artistic techniques of the landscape description which are used in it. Multifunctional role of the landscape description as the means to achieve contrast between the state of nature and cruelty, diseases and moral sufferings is revealed, the place of landscape sketches as background or character, as an artistic instrument that emphasizes the social problems on penal work island. The landscape is considered in terms of unity of time unity and book environment, of the work «Sakhalin Island» chronotope.