He graduated at the top of his class at the
Taganrog Gymnasium, then attended the , where he began contributing articles to humorous newspapers and magazines. From 1885 to 1890, he studied law at
Moscow University. From 1890 to 1898, he was stationed as a tax collector at several locations in the Moscow region. In 1891, his translation of the short story "A Rainy June" by
Ouida appeared in the
Bulletin of Foreign Literature. His first full book was a dictionary for farmers, published in 1894. While stationed at
Uglich, he directed, designed and wrote for an amateur theater company. In 1896, he married the daughter of a local factory owner. Two years later, he was appointed head of the Treasury Chamber (an office representing the Ministry of Finance) in
Yaroslavl. He also collected his own letters, worked as a consultant and catalogued Anton's personal library. In 1929, he became a member of the "" and wrote
Вокруг Чехова (On Chekhov), which became known as "Chekhov's Encyclopedia". In 1930, he published
Антон Чехов на каникулах (Anton Chekhov on a Holiday). He was awarded a state pension in 1932. Over the next few years, he worked on a genealogical study and a museum catalogue. He died in Yalta after a brief, but serious, illness. ==Writings in English==