Nikolai Konstantinovich
Roerich
1874-1947
Nikolai Roerich was a Russian artist, set designer, philosopher, writer, scientist, traveller, archaeologist and public figure, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. He was born on October 9, 1874 in St. Petersburg, in the family of a notary. Among the family’s acquaintances were John of Kronstadt, Arkhip Kuindzhi, Dmitry Mendeleev and other famous personalities. Since childhood, Nikolai Roerich showed interest in archeology, painting, history and the world cultural heritage. In 1902-1904 he and his wife, writer and public figure Elena Ivanovna Roerich, travelled to ancient Russian cities in order to study ancient monuments. The Vladimir governorate was also among the places visited: Vladimir, Suzdal, Yuriev-Polsky and the village of Bogolyubovo. According to the Zemsky podorozhnaya, Vladimir was visited from June 23 to July 23, 1903. As a result of the trip, paintings “Dmitrievsky Cathedral”, “Church of the Intercession on the Nerl”, “Chambers of Yuri Dolgoruky”, now in private collections, were created. Roerich also engaged in archaeological research: according to him, on behalf of the Russian Branch of the Imperial Archaeological Society, in the summer of 1903 he examined the settlements of Dobroselskoye near Vladimir on the Klyazma and Gorodets on the Sarah near Rostov. The expedition allowed us to collect valuable materials about customs, clothes, hats, musical instruments, icons, frescoes and architectural monuments. In 1919, Roerich and his family moved to London, where he fruitfully collaborated with Sergei Diaghilev on the design of Russian operas, became intimately acquainted with Rabindranath Tagore, and maintained cordial relations with H.G. Wells, John Galsworthy, and others. In England, Roerich successfully held solo exhibitions under the general title “Charms of Russia” – in London, and then in Worthing. In 1920, N.K. Roerich left for the United States. In New York, he became the founder of the United Arts Institute. In 1923, he opened the Roerich Museum, which became his first museum operating abroad. In 1923, Roerich left America and went to Paris, and then to India, where he organized a large-scale Central Asian expedition. During this time, he conducted archaeological and ethnographic research in different parts of Asia, studied rare manuscripts, collected linguistic materials and folklore, described local customs, and wrote books “The Heart of Asia” and “Altai-Himalayas.” During these years, the artist created about 500 paintings. They reflected the picturesque panorama of the expedition route. The extensive scientific materials that the Roerichs collected during the expedition required systematization and processing. After completing the expedition in July 1928, Roerich founded the Urusvati Himalayan Institute of Scientific Research, which means “The Light of the Morning Star” in Sanskrit. Nikolai Konstantinovich and his family settled in the Western Himalayas, in the Kulu Valley. The last years of the artist’s life would be spent here in India. During his life, Roerich created many paintings in museums around the world, and about 30 volumes of literary works, including two poetry collections. He initiated the Roerich Pact – an international treaty that proclaimed the principle of “Peace through Culture.” He was the first to propose a legal mechanism to protect the world’s cultural heritage from the ravages of war and vandalism, and his distinctive sign, the Banner of Peace, has become a recognizable symbol of this protection throughout the world. The banner’s symbol is three amaranth spheres in a circle on a white background – He was inspired by the icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity by Andrei Rublev. The banner is a white cloth with three touching amaranth circles, symbolizing the unity of the past, present and future in the ring of Eternity (or Art, Science and Religion in the ring of Culture). Roerich was awarded a number of Russian and foreign awards. In 1974, UNESCO included his 100th birthday in the Calendar of Commemorations of Great Personalities and Events. In 1984, a Museum-estate was opened in the village of Izvara (Leningrad region), where he lived for a long time. In St. Petersburg, an art school bears his name, and in 1999, Roerich’s international recognition was emphasized by the fact that in India, where he lived for many years, the study of his life and work was included in the school curriculum of the state of Himachal Pradesh. In science, his name is immortalized in the names of an asteroid (4426 Roerich), discovered in 1969, and a crater on Mercury (2013). Geographical features – a peak and a pass in the Altai, a glacier and passes on the Tien Shan – also bear his name. The Bank of Russia has issued commemorative coins to mark the 125th anniversary of the artist’s birth. A street in Moscow is named in memory of Nikolai Roerich. Roerich’s legacy continues to inspire: his ideas about culture and the world remain relevant, and his work is in demand in Russia and abroad.
Address: Moscow, Nicholas Roerich Street
