The entire first floor of the "Repin St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture" was dedicated to the largest show ever in the Art of Calligraphy. Ten Radio and Television teams filmed and photographed around the clock, made interviews with the organizers and the participants as well as life broadcasts.
Gigantic buketts of roses decorated the entrance of the exhibition, and two electronic pianos played automatically classical music. In the exhibition were not only shown works from over 60 participants, but also a large overview of writing tools, literature about calligraphy, letters applicated on plates or on tiles as well as in metal, and also artist books or historical documents of the Russian or Byzantine culture were presented. Among the texts an original letter by Catherine the Great was found. In addition to the exhibition program an exhibition of student works and a calligraphy competition for children was organized.
Each day the exhibition halls were crowded like on these pictures.
At the solemn opening ceremony a concert of the highest quality was heard, and among other groups we saw the "Chamber Choir of the Smolny Cathedral" from St. Petersburg who sang russian literature and at the end the Russian National hymn. Professor Pavel Semchenko from Minsk (Belarus), a famous teacher and lettering artist in his county and above was presenting his work, for example an about ten meter long scroll he calligraphed for his 70th birthday he will celebrate this year.
Avraham Hersh-Borshevsky from Jerusalem demonstrated during the opening ceremony as well as Prof. Petr Chobitko, Prof. Chen Wenfu (China), Prof. Pavel Semchenko (Minsk) and Hans Maierhofer (Regensburg, Germany). Dr. Nassar Mansour from Amman (Jordania) was holding an excellent lecture about arabic calligraphy tradition and the preparing of the arabic writing tools.
Chen Fong-Shean from Taiwan was not only demonstrating chinese calligraphy on a very high level but showed also miniature calligraphy on books and sculptures. He is a miniature painter too and leads a museum of miniature painting in Taiwan.
Meeting of the different cultures: Izzy Pludwinsky from Jerusalem (among other he works for the St. Johns Bible), Ganzorig Aleyksander from Ulan Bator (Mongolia) und Katharina Pieper standing in front of the powerful work of Ganzorig.
An excursion programm was organized to show the beautiful city of St. Petersburg - the participants were shown many cultural highlights of the city.
On the last day of the exhibition all organizers of the exhibition and the calligraphy congress presented themselves, and specially the leader of the project, Mr. Alexej Shaburov was celebrated. In the background we see a large wall which was painted and calligraphed during three days by Andrea and Volker Wunderlich from Bayreuth (Germany). A real focus point for the public!
The works of the exhibtors were presented in this way to the public, and specially young people and school classes as well as visitors of all kind of people were hightly interested in the works. Next to the calligraphies there were magnifying glasses to have a precise look at the works - like here on the right side for the fine Copperplate work of Jean Larcher (Paris). On the left picture and left on the right one you see the works of Katharina Pieper.
Jean Larcher is explaining his work to young visitors. On the right wall you see a part of the work of Prof. Werner Schneider.
Achyut Palav from Bombay was demonstrating a large scroll in front of the public - an excellent expressive work. His colleague Manohar Desai was supporting him during his lecture about the variety of the indian culture of calligraphy. Achyut and Katharina are friends since 22 years.
During the whole congress about 25 calligraphers, teachers and scientists from all over the world were holding lectures and were doing demonstrations. The participants as well as students and the interested public could see very different methods of presentation. On the left side Katharina Pieper is showing how letters can be done with simple selfmade writing instruments like here a Balsa wood. Together with Jean Larcher she was doing a performance "by four hands" on a concertina book ("leporello").
On the right side you see a work of Leonid Pronenko (Krasnodar, Russia).
Gunnlaugur SE Briem (Iceland/San Francisco, USA) was demonstrating that letters can reach an extremely high level by the help of the computer, not only in his work he exhibited but also in a very well done lecture.
On the right side you see a work of the student class of Prof. Petr Chobitko (St. Petersburg).
International Exhibition of Calligraphy St. Petersburg 
