How does Anton Chekhov exemplify Russian literature?

Playwright and short story author Anton Chekhov exemplifies specific tropes of the Russian literary tradition in part because he is one of the seminal figures of 19th-Century Russian literature. The Nineteenth Century was an especially important time in Russia in part because cultural paradigms shifted and deeply affected the development of Russia's literary heritage. Because of this, the Nineteenth Century is arguably the most important period in Russia's literary tradition, and Chekhov is a key member of the nation's canon during this period. He was a successful playwright, but Chekhov is especially remembered as a brilliant short story author. He both predated and prefigured the modernist movement that was prevalent in Western literature at the onset of the 20th Century. His sparse style has proven influential to later authors, and he has exemplified many tropes and stylistic choices that has made him a key figure of Russian literature as a whole.