The genre of calendarian tale in A P. Chehov's prose: the plot about "visitors"

The article determines modifications of the calendarian tale genre, also it is reviewed its existence in periodical press of the late XIXth century, some early Christmas tales and novels with specific narrative filling and coincided with secular or church calendar are analysed too, there are “visitors” - minor officials, who have to visit some “important officials” for New Year, Christmas, Easter, name's day and etc. Our interest is due to the little knowledge of such the plot in the context of the writer. The comparative table demonstrates specific features of Chehov's Christmas tales and novels that let to represent clearly genre characteristics and changes that happened in Christmas tale genre of the writer.