April 19, 2021: Herbert Zachl, a member of the German Chekhov Society, from the Austrian town of Wartberg an der Krems, visited the Machtrenk war cemetery in Upper Austria - the burial place of 468 Russian soldiers who died in the First World War are. Most of the soldiers died from infectious diseases, tuberculosis and wounds. This cemetery is maintained by the Austrian Black Cross (Österreichisches Schwarzes Kreuz), of which Mr. Zachl is also a member.

Every year, on the first of November, a commemorative liturgical service is held here and funeral music is played. Herbert Zachl, whose father died and was buried in Taganrog, laid flowers in memory of Russian soldiers as a sign of reconciliation and friendship between the peoples of Russia and Austria.


Earlier, Mr. Zachl initiated many official and cultural exchanges of Austrian delegations to Taganrog and Taganrog delegations to Austria, among them an official visit of the Austrian ambassador Mrs. Margot Klestil-Löffler in 2013, visits of he famous Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer Gerhard Wagner, and of ORF TV channel reporters in 2010 and 2013. Herbert Zachl initiated the visit to Taganrog of the Austrian folk choir "Singkreis Windischgarsten" who performed in Taganrog Gorky Park, and in 2011 he contributed to planning two concerts of Taganrog municipal choir LIK in Upper Austria. In April 2018 he came to Taganrog to open the photo exhibit entitled "Beautiful Austria"(Schönes Österreich).