Apart from numerous references in other places, Rozanov devoted five essays to Chekhov. In his first essay, written not long before Chekhov's death in 1904, Rozanov, while considering Russia's fate, gives a historic-cultural reading of The Cherry Orchard. In this, Chekhov's last play, Rozanov sees a reflection of the crisis among the Russian people, of not being able to set targets and aspirations in their personal lives: ‘Do you not understand, for what purpose serve love, thoughts, home life, morals, money – for all these people? You cannot take these things with you.’ This crisis leads to the passivity and lack of will in Chekhov's heroes: ‘Lopakhin also saves money, reads Buckle just like Epikhodov (an excellent character, especially upon the stage), Liubov Andreevna is attached to her Parisian gigolo, and Trofimov studies at the university. Each of them is not defined by his role. On stage, however, the figure of the student Trofimov is sympathetic, although idle and passive. He is unable to finish his course, and at the end cannot even find his own boots (which Varia eventually finds for him).’ This crisis of values is witnessed not only in the passive, but in the more active characters: ‘The only aspiration anyone shows is when Lopakhin tries to get hold of money: but it is totally incomprehensible why he needs it: money for money's sake?