May 5, 2016: Austrian member of the German Chekhov Society (Deutsche Tschechow-Gesellschaft) made his 20th visit to Taganrog April 28-May 4, 2016.

Earlier, Mr. Herbert Zachl made efforts to enable an official visit of the Austrian ambassador Mrs. Margot Klestil-Löffler in 2013; of Mayor Franz Karlhuber from his home town Wartberg an der Krems in 2010; of the famous Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer Gerhard Wagner; and of ORF reporters in 2010 and 2013, which in turn resulted in three documentary films about his trips to Taganrog broadcast by ORF and SAT3 TV channels.


In 2010, 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 October 2012 Mr. Zachl was awarded with a mayor's letter of commendation.


The 20th visit started with participation in an event within the framework of 2nd international project "The Heritage of the Saints Cyril and Methodius" held by Municipal school number 5 at Tchaikovsky House, which was followed by the meeting with the best German-speaking students of Taganrog who gathered at Municipal school number 6 on the same day.


May 2-3, 2016 Herbert Zachl met with deputy director of Taganrog Arts & Culture Council Mrs. Marianna Grigoryan, foreign relations officer Mr. Alexander Mirgorodski and director of the municipal choir LIK Mr. Alexey Loginov to discuss future opportunities for cultural cooperation between Taganrog and Wartberg.

During his stay in Taganrog, the Austrian guest visited the Taganrog Museum of Art, the Old Cemetery, several Orthodox churches in Taganrog, Roman Catholic church, as well as remarkable sites dedicated to childhood and youth of the great Russian playwright and short-story writer Anton Chekhov.

Mr. Zachl is planning to continue and intensify the cultural ties between Austria and Taganrog.