Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich, a great Russian artist, Scientist and thinker, belongs to the galaxy of outstanding figures in Russian and world culture. During his life he created more than seven thousands paintings, now a days found in different countries around the world, penned many essays, notes and reflections, He is known as the author of the first international treaty "on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and Historic Monuments", which as called the Roerich Pact. Nicholas Roerich was born in Saint Petersburg in 1874 and lived there until 1916. The foundation of everything that manifested later is his career where laid and conceived in St. Petersburg. Archaeology and history of art and east, these interest developed in childhood led him through his life. In 1899 Nicholas Roerich met Helena Shaposhnikova who become his wife. In 1902 the couple had a son, George, in 1904 - Svetoslav. So this is the way the unique Roerich family came int being - the family of shared interest and creative aspirations - which played an important role in Russian and world culture. In 1923 the Roerichs came to India. It was this country with its ancient culture that become the first stage of the famous Central Asian Expedition of Nicholas Roerich, the route of which passed through the territory of China, Russia, Mongolia and Tibet. The research data collected in expedition confirmed the earlier assumptions of the artist that once there existed a common source of various cultures and it was in the East, in India. After the expedition at the end of 1928 the Roerichs settled in the Himalayan Research Institute, the essential principle of its activity was a combination of ancient knowledge of the East and modern scientific discoveries of the West. In the Kullu valley, in Naggar. Nicholas Roerich spent the second half of his life. Here in 1947 he died. He wholeheartedly fill in love with India and deeply penetrated into the essence of its great culture. In his works the artist succeeded to reflect the beauty of his country and the spirit of its people. Among his friends were such famous people as a poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore, and scientist Jagadish Bose, prominent politicians- Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Roerich warmly welcomed the release of India from colonial rule and foresaw its development and prosperity. He laid the foundation for future cooperation between Russia and India. It is India that gave Nicholas Roerich pleasure of meeting great Rishis, Sages and Mahatmas. Communication with them lit up the life and work of Nicholas Roerich and his family with the light of true knowledge. This knowledge is reflected in the Teaching of Living Ethics, or Agani Yoga, which marked the beginning of a new cosmic ideology, now emerging on our planet.