The four German speaking countries can be designated as DACHLI from D (Deutschland), A (Austria), CH (Switzerland) and LI (Lichtenstein). The festival shows the diversity of classical and modern culture of the German-speaking countries to the Petersburg public, using example from cinema, theatre, literature, art and education, i.e. the screening of films, exhibitions, concerts, educational lectures, and performances. The second DACHLI_FEST 2020 continued the main theme of the first festival: "Modern and Classics in German".
The opening event on February 26th was a classical concert “The Sacred Art of the Music: from German to Russian classics” in the White Hall of the Central Lermontov Library. The concert was followed by a public talk “M. Lermontov in the German-speaking area” gathering experts on literature and philology. Switzerland was the subject of a public talk on “Fega Frisch as a translator of Lermontov in Switzerland” given by prof. Bakshi, Director of the Russian-Swiss Educational and Scientific Center of Russian State Humanitarian University, and of a huge books exhibition named “Lermontov. The verge of translation. Choice of Image”. The exhibition was dedicated to the translations of Lermontov’s great poems into German and the publication of Lermontov's works in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
SWISSDOCS is a special Swiss-Russian educational program which took place from March, 6-10, at the Educational center of the Mayakovski library OKHTA-8. The main goal of this program was to present the flamboyant Swiss culture and history of the 19th - 20th centuries: 5 remarkable Swiss people with links to Russia and St. Petersburg plus 5 Swiss documentaries (“Welcome to Zwitscherland”; “Kokoschka oeuvre-vie”; “Johannes Itten – Bauhauspionier”; “Gateways to New York; Spitteler. Literaturnobelpreisträger”). The screening of these documentaries was followed by insightful lectures.
Right before SWISSDOCS, a special event dedicated to a first Swiss architect in St. Petersburg took place. On March 5, 2020 the Izmailovsky library hosted a memorable evening on “Architect Haerbel and his descendants serving the Russian crown”.
The 3rd Swiss part of DACHLI_Fest 2020 was held at the cinema hall “Velikan Park” and included 5 screenings of children’s movies: “Die schwarzen Brüder”, “Mein Name ist Eugen”, “Das kleine Gespenst”; «Globi und der Schattenräuber”; “Vitus”.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of cultural institutions in St. Petersburg, some events of the DACHLI_FEST 2020 did unfortunately not take place and were postponed until the fall of 2020 as part of the 7th Swiss Film Festival in St. Petersburg. This concerns the following events:
- Globi Day (contest of children drawings, carnival, book exhibition, movie) in the Children's Library of the Central Library, dedicated Globi Parrot, one of the most popular children's characters in books, cartoons, educational games and tutorials;
- Swiss German Event “Day with Otfried Preussler und his little Ghost” (lecture, book exhibition, clay modeling master classes, movie);
- Closing event - combined organ concert - “DACHLI_ORGAN. Three centuries of organ masterpieces” works for the organ by prominent composers from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
