NICHOLAS ROERICH — A MASTER OF THE HIMALAYAS
To all the important turning points in the world’s history, there have appeared great artists whose destiny it was to illumine Life, by giving form and color to the spiritual tendencies of their time.
It was said about Nicholas Roerich — “If the Phedias was the creator of divine form, and Giotto the painter of the soul, then Roerich may be said to reveal the spirit of the Cosmos.”
“A painter can only be praised if he is universal.” These words of Leonardo da Vinci virtually expounded in the personality of Nicholas Roerich’s art devoid of time, space, religion or language. They pierce through the Universe in its past, present and future.
The name of the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) occupies a honorable place in the history of Russia and the world Culture of the 20th century.
The range of Nicholas Roerich’s activities is extraordinarily wide.
A painter, archaeologist, ethnographer, lawyer, geographer, poet, historian, philosopher, scientist, traveler, fighter for peace, defender of cultural values of all nations and, invariably, Man who has devoted his whole self to the ideal of the Common Good.
As an artist, Nicholas Roerich has created more than 7000 works, that has dispersed all over the world, adding to the glory of Russian culture. He worked in the sphere of monumental and applied arts and has become famous as an author of scenographies and drawings, and he left the whole series of sketches for furniture, costumes, and embroideries. And this entire diverse heritage is hallmarked with a great original talent.
Nicholas Roerich was formed as an artist and a public cultural worker of Russia of the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th centuries.
After graduation from Petersburg University and the Academy of Arts he yearned to know the centuries-old culture of Russia. With this purpose in 1903-4 the young artist together with his wife Helena went round more than 40 towns and historical places of the country.
Knowledge of history, numerous archaeological excavations, “going through Russian olden times” helped Roerich to represent in a new way in his creative work the image of his Mother Nature and spiritual stages of Russian nation’s thousand-year history’s development.
Nicholas Roerich’s world-outlook is unique, for it is founded upon the knowledge of the fundamental laws of Existence. He was convinced that by increasing the level of masses’ spiritual culture one could transform the life on Earth and defeat ignorance, vulgarity, exploitation and wars.
“Where there is culture”, the artist wrote, “there is peace there. There is a heroic deed, there is the right solution of the most complicated social problems. While culture is only a luxury, only the Christmas pudding, it would not yet improve life. Culture should come into the closest everyday life, in both a cabin and a palace.”
“Culture and peace is the sacred stronghold of all mankind.”
“Culture of the spirit stands upon all boundaries.”
Being convinced of the transforming power of the culture, Nicholas Roerich devoted himself not only to artistic, but also to educational activities. The so-called “Roerich Pact “ providing for the protection of cultural memorials of all humanity played an important role in strengthening friendship and cooperation between the nations.
The main task of the unfurled Roerich International
Banner of Peace was to guard and protect the lofty monuments of artistic and scientific institutions and collections of the creative spirit of human genius from the havoc of war and acts of barbarity. The Pact was signed in 1935 in Washington by 21 countries in presence of the President F.Roosevelt.
“We need the Pact for culture memorials protection not only as an official body, but also as an educational law, which will, from the very first school days bring up younger generation with the noble ideas of preserving cultural values of the universe,” the Master wrote.
Nicholas Roerich’s idea has won an international recognition. A.Einstein, R.Rolland, Bernard Shaw, T.Mann, J.Nehru, R.Tagore, J.Ch.Bose and many other outstanding scientists and artists of various countries backed up the “Roerich Pact” and his “Standard of Peace”. On the base of the Pact, the Act of International Convention on the protection of cultural values in wartime was signed in Hague in 1954 and then ratified by many countries.
Nicholas Roerich, like Pushkin and Dostoyevsky, served the Russian ideal of “world wideness”. From his beloved Russia the artist went to the common to all mankind comprehension of the present day reality on the planet. For 42 years he worked in Russia. 10 years he traveled around European countries and the USA, more than 20 years he has spent in the East. Especially attractive for him was India. In his studies of the old Russian art he would find the roots common to both Slavonic and Indian culture.
In 1923 Nicholas Roerich with his wife Helena Ivanovna (philosopher and writer), sons George (well-known orientalist) and Svetoslav (painter and art critic) left for India. There began an unparalleled in the history of world’s art journey of a Russian artist, his wife and elder son round central Asia. Extremely valuable collections of ancient manuscripts, works of art, rare data on archaeology, botanic, geology, medicine, philosophy, ethics, linguistic were gathered during this research expedition. In 1928, after a successful completion of the Central Asiatic Expedition, the Roerichs returned to India, to their house in Darjeeling.
The joint labor of the Roerich’s family created a wondrous mosaics of the successions of ages and nations, destructions and re-creations in the cultures of the bygone epochs, and brought to light the evolutional predestination of the Central Asia in the future spiritual revival.
In Darjeeling the idea was realised of the neccessity to establish a special institute for research of the countless material collected by the expedition, and for the development of the numerous scientific directions formed during the journey.
On 24th of July, 1928 were laid foundations of the ‘Urusvati’ Himalayan Research Institute. ‘Uru’ and ‘Svati’ - are the ancient names from Agni Puranas. In sanskrit ‘Urusvati’ means - ‘Star of the Morning’.
Helena Roerich became the Honorary President-Founder, Nicholas Roerich its President-Founder, and George Roerich its Director.
The Roerich family shifted to the Western Himalayas. The ancient valley of Kullu has been chosen as the most suitable place for the location and activity of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute.
“ High here amid rugged slopes, where an aura of forgotten races emanates from strangely mingled remnants of ancient cultures and ancient wisdom, stands a new outpost of science - a key with which the archaeologist and naturalist, modernly equipped, will unlock doors sealed upon Central Asian secrets. A new outpost - most advantageously placed.
In this far valley of Kullu blend keen mountain air and warm southern sun. Here, too, wondrously blend races, languages, religions, arts and the natural phenomena of many diverse climes, to create anew a veritable paradise alike for the scientist who looks only to the present and for him who reckons man’s and Nature’s story in thousand-year units. On this spot, but no less on Asian sites within quick attainment, have the ages left more profound strata of the past than remain uninvestigated elsewhere on the globe.” - wrote George Roerich.
Meanwhile, in New York, construction of the new Nicholas Roerich Museum was completed. In June 1929, Nicholas Roerich and George departed to New York for its inauguration. On the 17th of October, the Roerich Museum was solemnly inaugurated.
From the letter of George Roerich:
“…Verily, that was a memorable event!
Huge crowd of people filled the building. There were 10 000 visitors. Reception was excellent, and when father read his message, people stood up. President of France sent his friendly message. Hundreds of telegrams have come…
Museum is filled with people, today we had 5ooo visitors. Tibetan exhibition also attracts notable attention…”
Nicholas Roerich gifted to the Museum hundreds of his pictures, painted during the Central Asiatic expedition. The exhibition of his paintings was set up in the Museum.
Besides the paintings and valuable books, Roerichs gifted to the Museum a big collection of the religious and ethnographical objects, collected during the expedition.
After coming back from the USA, the new detailed project of the Urusvati Institute was worked out - it presumed development of the scientific thought in the form of conferences, lectures, and seminars in two main directions. First - Archaeology, with related sciences and arts; second, Natural Sciences, with applied research.
The idea of synthesis of the ancient eastern knowledge and the latest discoveries of the world science, was the foundation of the work. Immediately had been opened - Department of Archaeology, related sciences and arts, Department of Natural and Medical Sciences, Research library, and Museum for the preservation of the findings from the expedition. There were also sections of the general history, history of culture and Asian nations, history of the ancient art, sections of linguistics and philology.
Helena Roerich thus wrote about the main tasks of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute:
“ The center should be developed into a city of knowledge. In this city we wish to create a synthesis of scientific achievements. Therefore, all branches of science should eventually be established there. And, since the source of knowledge lies in the Cosmos, the co-workers of the scientific center should belong to the whole world—that is, should include all nationalities. And, as the Cosmos is indivisible in all its functions, the scientists of the world should be indivisible in their achievements.
The location of the center, in the Himalayas, is selected quite deliberately and purposefully, as innumerable possibilities are open there.
The discovery of new cosmic rays, which bring new precious energies to humanity, is possible only on the mountain summits because all the finest and most valuable energies are found only in the pure layers of mountain atmosphere.
For astronomical observations the conditions here are exceptionally good.
Fiery atmospheric manifestations also could be observed here, and the so-called "Himalayan lights" may often be seen.
Geologically, the Himalayas are also very interesting, and their caves hold many mysteries for archaeologists, zoologists and anthropologists. There are a great number of hot springs.
In archaeological respects our valley, of course, is one of the richest and most ancient. There are traces of ancient Buddhist culture. Quite remarkable is the number of local dialects among the mountain tribes.
On these mountains the rarest medicinal plants and grasses are centered, and the variety of botanic species is unexcelled.
It is most desirable to establish here a meteorological station to start studying and observing the magnetic currents, with the idea of broadening it eventually, bearing in mind the favorable local conditions.”
After the Second World War was over, Nicholas Roerich was going to return to his motherland:
“I would like to be there as soon as possible and to contribute my experience and knowledge to the cause of Russia.”
Packed are his books, pictures. But death cut short the dream of many years…
“The heart of Nikolai Konstantinovitch could not anymore encompass human poison, that filled the atmosphere of the Earth…”
“Pure souls depart before the darkness sets in, and their Images remain as the only torchbearers in the shade of coming disasters...”, - wrote Helena Ivanovna.
He passed away on 13th of December, on the auspicious for Hindus day of Shiva.
In her letter to the American co-workers Helena Roerich wrote:
“…The day of cremation was exceptionally beautiful. Not a single breath of wind, and all surrounding mountains were clad in a fresh snowy attire…
Local people assembled a huge pyre from deodar wood, profusely poured with the aromatic oils…
When his stretchers, covered with white flowers, were put on the pyre, and the fire was lit up from four sides, a huge flame, like wings, seized him, hiding him from us, and rushed upwards, to the serene bluishness...”
Big, beautiful piece of rock has been placed on the cremation ground. Below the sign of the Banner of Peace it is engraved in Hindi language:
“The body of Maharishi Nicholas Roerich, a great friend of India, was consecrated to fire on this spot on the 15th of December 1947. OM RAM.”
Nicholas Roerich’s public and philosophical views met a keen response in the hearts of millions of people by their humane and vital trend. People who shared his views united on different continents to form around ninety societies bearing his name. The fact that over 100 Academies, Institutes, societies, associations elected him their full and lifelong member is the best evidence of the Russian artist’s popularity and recognition.
The landscapes from the Himalayas series arouse exceptional interest. They opened the beauty of the mountainous world of the East to art.
“The spirit of the Himalayas and soul of India are grasped in them,” — as Indira Gandhi marked the truthfulness of the painter’s landscapes.
In many sketches the artist has depicted Nature lit up by the sun at dawn and sunset, Nature at night’s silence and in different seasons. Though a man is rarely portrayed in the pictures, Nature in them is not at all deserted.
It is always spiritualized by the thoughts and emotions that were born in the artist’s heart. In his opinion, the beauty of Nature is an eternal source that elevates and ennobles the human soul.
The mountains in his works always symbolize spiritual ascent, approach to the harmony, light and eternity.
“...Himalayas!
Here is the Abode of Rishis.
Here resounded the sacred Flute of Krishna.
Here thundered the Blessed Gautama.
Here originated all Vedas. Here lived Pandavas.
Here — Gessar Khan. Here — Aryavarta.
Here is Shambala.
Himalayas — Jewel of India.
Himalayas — Treasure of the World.
Himalayas — the sacred symbol of Ascent.
Oh, Bharata the beautiful! Let me send Thee my heartfelt admiration
for all the greatness and inspiration which fill Thy ancient Wisdom,
for glorious Cities and Temples, Thy Deobans,
Thy sacred Rivers and Majestic Himalayas!”
(Nicholas Roerich.
"Abode
of Light.
A Himalayan Diary")
