REPORT OF THE ROERICH FAMILY MUSEUM AND INSTITUTE FOR 2001-2002
The Roerich Family Museum and Institute was founded on May 11, 2001 in St. Petersburg by the International Charity Fund "The Roerich Heritage" after the project of St. Petersburg State University. It is developed within the Programme "300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg".
The main work activities of the Museum and Institute in this period were:
The work on some activities is conducted with very close collaboration of the Roerich Centre of St. Petersburg State University. In the 2001-2002 more than 100 articles by the Museum employees, as well as six books, were published.
THE MUSEUM FUNDS AND EXPOSITIONS
The museum funds were fully collected in the one and a half years of this two-year period. Currently they account for more than 1000 museum pieces, more than half belonging to the Roerichs. Among them there are works by N.K.Roerich, G.N.Roerich and S.N.Roerich. M.V.Dobuzhinsky, A.V.Rylov, I.E.Repin, M.A.Voloshin, students of the School of Drawing of the Imperial Society for Encouraging of Arts, works by the artists of V.V.Sterligov's school, members of the creative groups "Amaravella" and "Church Wall". The memorial collection of S.S. Mitusov, closest friend and relative of the Roerich family, made up the basis for the funds, which also contain works of art and documents from private collections and archives of St. Petersburg. Among the first grantors of the Museum and Institute there are V.V.Petrov, I.V.Sakharov, R.P.Sergienko, Y.S.Zverev, B.P.Kovalenko, Y.G.Kulpov. The subject plan of the permanent expositions has been developed. It includes the memorial part, exposition of the works by N.K.Roerich and S.N.Roerich and Silver Age masters, and contemporary art exposition.
THE BUILDING OF THE MUSEUM AND INSTITUTE
Due to the constant support from St. Petersburg State University in the person of its Rector L.A.Verbitskaya, assistance of the State Hermitage in the person of M.B.Piotrovsky and The Russian Academy of Sciences in the person of academicians B.S.Sokolov and A.A.Fursenko and other prominent figures of art and science, as well as due to the involvement of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Property and the Government of the Russian Federation the following decision was approved at the session of the Real Estate Committee of the State Property Administration Board: to hand over a building on the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment, 41 (former academician Botkin's house) to the Roerich Family Museum and Institute. This allowed to continue the work commenced in March-April last year on the building examination and preparation of the project estimations for its repairs. Besides, certain data were collected about the history of this architectural monument of the federal importance, its artistic interiors and former owners. Particular attention was paid to the period of the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries when the house was owned by M.P.Botkin. In those years N.K.Roerich used to visit this house, he left most interesting memoirs about the master of the house and his family. When the house is turned into a museum, these memoirs will become the basis for the permanent exposition, devoted to the monument history, as well as the part of temporary exhibitions from St. Petersburg collections and funds.
RESEARCH ON HISTORY AND ARCHIVES
When the Museum and Institute already existed and in the years before it was founded the work was carried out in state and private archives of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Krasnodar, New York, Rome, Paris, Ulan Bator, etc Among them there were archives and/or manuscript departments of the State Library of Russia, National Library of Russia, Library of the Academy of Sciences (RAS), Russian Institute of the History of Arts of RAS, Institute of History of Material Culture of the RAS, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Archives of Russia, the Central State Historical Archives in St. Petersburg, the Central State Literature and Arts Archives in St. Petersburg, Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York and many others. Dozens of manuscript funds, thousands of documents have been studied and researched. A unique archives material on the Roerich family heritage and Silver Age culture has been collected.
The main topics of the studies were:
ELECTRONIC ARCHIVES AND DATABASE
The collected archives and other materials were transferred to digital media, were structured and organized as electronic archives and database available for researchers. In the course of "The Roerichs' Power" Programme the full map of the Roerich heritage was drawn. It contains all places of life and creative activities of the Roerichs, their expeditions itineraries, geography of their correspondence, locations of scientific and cultural institutions established by the Roerichs, contemporary locations of the works of art by N.K.Roerich, G.N.Roerich and S.N.Roerich, locations of manuscripts and printed documents of all members of the Roerich family, films and photo documents and their collections. The work was held in close collaboration with the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York and the Publishing House "Agni" (Samara).
In the past period five web sites were developed and placed in the Internet:
Currently these resources are the most informative ones about the Roerich heritage and contemporary research after Roerich scientific ideas in the world wide web. About 300 texts by the Roerichs and articles of different authors, more than 500 graphic files, including dozens of never published drawings, paintings, portraits, photos and autographs are placed there. On the basis of these information resources the web page support is held for various organizations collaborating with the Museum and Institute:
The Museum and Institute took active part in the work over the sites of other organizations and internet editions, while placing there the results of its research and publications. These were the sites of the network internet-editions "Museums of Russia", "Sides of the Epoch", "Agni", "Oriflamma" and magazines "Classics" and "St. Petersburg University". For the first time in the Roerich movement existence a direct Internet-translation of the International Academic and Practical Conference "The Roerich Heritage", held in the main building of St. Petersburg University (Peter's Hall, on October 9, 2002, 9.00 - 18.00) was conducted.
SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL EDITIONS
With the support of the Roerich Centre of St. Petersburg University (since 2001 on the basis of St. Petersburg University Publishing House) a scientific and art year-book "St. Petersburg Roerich Collected Articles" is published. Materials from the Roerichs' heritage and their environment, as well as materials by their contemporaries and followers are published in this year-book. Contemporary research on art, culture studies, archaeology, natural sciences, fine arts studies and other areas of contemporary science are also represented there, as well as vital problems and achievements in the field of research of the Roerichs' activities.
In 1998 the first edition of the collection of articles, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of N.K.Roerich's graduation from St. Petersburg University and also commemorating the 275th anniversary of the University and its Academic gymnasium saw the light of the day. Among the edition authors were the Roerichs, their employees and friends as well as contemporary researchers. The majority of materials have never been published before.
In 1999, the year of the 125th anniversary of N.K.Roerich, a doubled edition (comprising the 2nd and 3rd editions) of the collection of works that began the series of books "Nicholas Roerich. Archaeology" based on the materials of the Imperial Archaeological Committee (1892-1918) was published. The represented documents - manuscripts, correspondence, scientific publications, drawings, photos - all this allowed to approach the scientific Roerich's heritage and appreciate his input in the native science. The majority of materials have never been published before as well.
In 2001 the 4th edition was published, it was devoted to the outcomes of two anniversaries: 200th A.S.Pushkin's anniversary and 100th anniversary of the artistic union "The World of Art". The edition is intended for those who are interested in A.S.Pushkin's and N.K.Roerich's creative activities, who want to open new sides of the Russian artistic and musical culture of the 19th - 20th centuries, who want to feel the links between the art of the Silver age with the art of Pushkin's Golden age.
In July 2002 the 5th edition was published. It was prepared together with the Oriental Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of G.N.Roerich. The collection comprises a number of research articles dedicated to the scientific activities of G.N.Roerich. New materials, new interpretations of the familiar topics, new problem interpretation are characteristic of these articles. The first two are about G.N.Roerich, his environment and his role in the Oriental studies development.
Three supplements to "St. Petersburg Roerich's Collection" were published:
Finally in October 2002 the works of the First International Academic and Practical Conference "The Roerich Heritage" were published in the Publishing House of St. Petersburg State University. The book contains more than 90 reports, messages and welcome speeches by the scientists and cultural workers from Russia, USA, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, the Ukraine and Bulgaria, as well as more than 200 illustrations including some photos never published before. The edition is intended for scientists of the wide range of scientific fields: from humanitarian to natural sciences, as well as for teachers, cultural workers and public organizations.
The holding of the annual academic and practical conference "The Roerich Heritage" in St. Petersburg State University on October 9-11 was the joint action of the Roerich Family Museum and Institute, the Roerich Centre of St. Petersburg State University and the International Charity Fund "The Roerich Heritage". The topic of the First Conference (2001) was "The Roerich Family Museum and Institute in the Cultural and Historical Space of St. Petersburg". The sessions were devoted to the issues of preserving and mastering of the heritage of the great artist and philosopher, archaeologist and public figure, writer and traveller - Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich and his family, as well as to the development of complex research after Roerich's scientific ideas. The follow sections worked during the Conference:
Five sections worked all in all:
The results of genealogical research were announced separately.
The Conference was held with the support of St. Petersburg Administration Culture
Committee within the project that was included in the Programme of the city's
300-years anniversary celebration and collected around 250 representatives of
science, education, culture and public life from 27 cities of Russia, the Ukraine
and Bulgaria. Among them 30 Doctors of Sciences and 40 PhD's in the following
disciplines: history, archaeology, philosophy, cultural studies, natural sciences,
fine arts studies, social studies, law, Oriental studies, theology, philology,
geography, economics, etc
The Second Conference "The Roerich Heritage" was held in 2002 in
two stages and was devoted to the 100th anniversary of the remarkable Russian
Orientalist G.N.Roerich. He was part of the outstanding Roerich family, that
had left a tremendous input into the search of the national idea, discovery
of oriental paths, development of self-consciousness and uniting of the world
nations, and which had elevated and defined Culture as the saint stronghold
of the mankind.
The main topic of the Second Conference was "New Russia on the Way to the
Human Unity". The first stage of the Conference was held in the cities
of Tver and Novgorod Region - Tver, Vyshny Volochek and Okulovka on 13-17 August.
The Conference participants made a scientific trip along the historical and
ecological itinerary, developed by the Museum and Institute together with the
Interregional Scientific and Social Centre "Cultural Initiative".
The went along beautiful and historically important and saint places of the
Valdai Hills, the Volga and Msta rivers basins, visiting places in villages
Beriozka, Mshentsy, Lykoshino, in the towns of Bologoe and Okulovka which the
Roerichs used to visit. At the fist stage of the Conference worked the following
sections and round tables:
On August 16, 2002, the birthday of George Roerich - the official opening of
the memorial stone sign took place in Okulovka (estate Kunevo), where he was
born.
St. Petersburg stage of the Conference continued consideration of international
cultural initiatives among which is the World
Ethics Congress project developed by the Interregional Scientific and Social
Centre "Cultural Initiative:. In the main building of St. Petersburg state
University the following sections worked on October 9-10, 2003:
A ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the great Russian Orientalist G.N.Roerich was held in the Peter Hall on October 9, 2002 16.30. The well-known writer and philosopher A.M.Piatigorsky, follower of G.N.Roerich, who came to the Conference from London read his speech. St. Petersburg citizens - the eldest researcher of the Chamber of Curiosities, the Head of the South and South-Eastern Asia Department A.M.Reshetov, the Head of the Indian Studies Chair of the Faculty of Oriental Languages of St. Petersburg State University N.V.Gurov, the Founder of the Roerich Family Museum, cousin of G.N.Roerich L.S.Mitusova also delivered reports. The direct Internet-broadcast of all sessions was held on October 9.
The Conference was conducted with the Support of the Administration and Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Tver and Novgorod regions, regional political movement "St. Petersburg' Will", St. Petersburg Branch of the International League on Culture Protection and other organizations that are members of St. Petersburg 300th anniversary celebrations Programme. The Conference thus gathered a lot of representatives of science, educations, culture and public life. On the whole the number of Conference participants has doubled compared to 2001. This year participants have become more various in what regards professional and scientific trends. This was possible due to the participation in the common work of a wide range of authorities - central, city, regional and municipal authorities. Social and public organizations from the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy substantially expanded the range of topics and issues raised.
Since 1999 a monthly cultural
seminar of "St. Petersburg Roerich Collection" has been functioning
(since 2001 it is conducted together with the Museum and Institute). In 2001-2002
24 sessions were held, where prominent figures of science, art and culture as
well as young researchers read their speeches.
The listeners especially valued the meetings with T.Y.Elizarenkova, Doctor of
Philology, Senior Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian
Academy of Sciences (RAS), and follower of G.N.Roerich , with A.M.Reshetov,
Head of the East and South-East Asia Department of the Museum of Ethnography
and Anthropology named after Peter the Great (Chamber of Curiosities) of the
RAS, with E.P.Yakovleva, Doctor of Fine Arts Studies, Senior Researcher of the
State Russian Museum, with A.D.Stolyar, the eldest professor of St. Petersburg
State University, with N.V.Blagovo, Director of the Karl May Gymnasium, with
R.M.Erkinova, Director of the National Museum of the Altai Republic, with Y.A.Ushatov,
the full member of the Russian Geographic Society, President of the International
Charity Fund "The Roerich Heritage", with V.N.Izratsov, the full member
of the Russian Geographic Society and artist from Novosibirsk, with V.G.Samuilov,
member of the Union of Writers of Russia and artist from Vyshny Volochek , with
V.V.Ekk, the full member of the Union of Architects of St. Petersburg , with
V.V.Petrov, St. Petersburg film director and culture researcher.
ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCTING OF EXHIBITIONS
The Museum and Institute takes part in the organization and conducting of non-profitable mobile educational and art exhibitions around the North West and its neighbour regions of Russia. Exhibitions are held together with the Roerich Centre of St. Petersburg State University with the support of the International Social Organizations "Spiritual Culture Centre" and the Publishing House "Agni" (Samara) that prepared with the use of modern polygraphic equipment the full-frame copies of some works. Their topics were:
In the last one and a half years more than 40 exhibitions were held in the museums and exhibition halls of St. Petersburg, administrative centres and settlements of Vologda, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan and Tver regions, of the Republic of Karelia (the towns of Batetsky, Valdai, Vologda, Volkhov, Vyshny Volochek, Griazovets, Kolpino, Novaya Ladoga, Lodeinoe Pole, Okulovka, Olonets, Ryazan, Tosno, Holm, Chudovo, etc).
Besides, the exhibition "The Roerich Family Heritage in the Memorial Collection of S.S.Mitusov" is sometimes open in St. Petersburg. It contains personal belongings, photos, books and autographs of all members of the Roerich family.
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND SCHOOLS OF ST. PETERSBURG
Every year on April 15 the Museum and Institute takes part in the arrangement
and conducting of the city holiday in schools of St. Petersburg - "The
Day of Culture". The employees of the Museum and Institute read lectures
and show videos dedicated to the values of the national and world culture to
the school children.
The employees of the Museum and Institute provide consultancy and excursion
support to the Academic Gymnasium of St. Petersburg and to other educational
institutions of the North West Region of Russia. They also take part in the
academic and methodology conferences of teachers and post-graduate students
at the Faculty of Philology of St. Petersburg University. They regularly conduct
educational excursions for students and visitors of St. Petersburg and Leningrad
region at particular topics.
Here are the topics of the already developed educational excursions:
Besides, the Roerich Family Museum and Institute takes part in the educational activities of St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts. During 2001-2002 the employees of the Museum and Institute delivered a course of lectures "N.K.Roerich and the World Culture" three times, worked with Japanese students and provided help to the Information and Culture Centre "Russian Emigration".
EXPEDITIONS AND SCIETIFIC TRIPS
In 2001-2002 the employees of the Roerich Family Museum and Institute arranged
and conducted scientific expeditions to Mongolia, the Altai mountains, Bhutan
and Burma.
The expedition to Mongolia was held in June 2001. It was arranged together with
the International Fund "Eastern Union" (Vologda). The main goals of
the expedition were to make photos of the monuments of history, culture and
nature, to make archaeological exploring, to collect exhibition items and to
establish scientific and cultural collaboration. The exhibition items collected
and the photos taken have enriched the funds and the expositions of the Independent
Non-Profitable Organization "Culture of the New Epoch" (Vologda"
and the Museum of Ethnography and Anthropology named after Peter the Great (Chamber
of Curiosities) of the RAS.
In 2002 two expeditions to the Altai mountains
were held together with the Republican Museum of Local Lore under the license
provided by the Agency on Cultural Heritage of the Altai Republic. The first
(winter) expedition was held February 25 - March 7 with the itinerary Novosibirsk
- Gorno-Altaisk - Inia - Inegen - gorge Arguta (Terektu-Dewl) - Inegen - Inia
- Gorno-Altaisk - Novosibirsk. The aim of the expedition was to research the
ancient monuments of the Arguta gorge and in the district of village of Inegen.
The main goals of the expedition - research of the petroglyphs of Kaltak and
Terektu-Dewl, discovered by E.P.Matochkin in 1998 and exploration of the new
monuments from ancient times. As a result new ancient Turk sculptured figures
and petroglyphs (Kuigen-Kyshtu), as well as new complexes of petroglyphs in
the previously discovered settlements (Chakulu) were revealed. Besides the petroglyphs
of Terektu-Dewl were copied and petroglyphs of Kaltaka were under reserach.
The second (summer) expedition of the Roerich Family Museum and Institute to
the Altai mountains was conducted June 29 - July 10, 2002 along the itinerary:
Novosibirsk - Gorno-Altaisk - Inegen - Turgunda - Terekta - Krasnaya Gora -
Ust-Koksa - Gorno-Altaisk - Novosibirsk. The goal of the expedition was again
to research the ancient monuments of the Altai Mountains. The specific objectives
were to recreate the peculiar appearance of the sculptured figures in Inegen,
to explore and study new petroglyphs complexes. As a result new petroglyphs
were discovered in the tract of Bulan-Koba, two ancient Turk sculptured figures
that were discovered by the first (winter) expeditions in the area of Kyiu near
Inegen were studied and appropriately erected, the petroglyphs of Ust-Koksa
filmed, and the republican holiday El-Oyiyn was filmed on camera. Processing
and research of the expeditions results is going on, "The Altai Collection"
and 'The Altai Exhibition" are under preparation.
In summer 2002 an expedition to the mysterious and unstudied country - kingdom
of Bhutan - was held by the Roerich Family Museum and Institute with the
support of the Charity Fund "The Roerich Heritage" and the International
Fund "Eastern Union". The main goals of the expedition were to study
this country tradition, to analyze the changes that happed in the country after
Europeans entered it, to compare architectural monuments and first of all of
monasteries, with the monuments of other states with the similar way of life
and similar religious views. Also the following goals were set: to make collections
for future expositions of the Museum and Institute, to make photos and video
tapes to create a film about Bhutan and arrange mobile exhibitions. It is vital
for the current moment because until now there have been no high quality and
most important no various photos of the main cultural objects of this country,
of its people every day life and their environment. The expedition lasted two
weeks. During this time the expedition members visited the following towns and
valleys: Timphu, Paro, Vangdi-Punakha, Punakha, Gantey, Trongsa, Bumtang, Jakar
and many other small settlements, uninhabited and wild places, main monasteries
and sacred for all lamaists monuments. The expedition members managed to live
for some time in the houses of simple Bhutan citizens, spend nights in the Black
mountains, where no one dares to settle due to the belief that this area is
inhabited by evil spirits, a great number of wild animals and various dangerous
fantastic creatures (e.g. dragons). A few hundreds of photos have been made
by now, including digital ones, a film has been cut, and a report on the expedition
results has been delivered on a seminar of "St. Petersburg Roerich Collection"
(followed by reviews in mass media).
A collection on things of cult and Bhutan citizens every day life has been gathered,
as well as video materials on history, culture and ethnography of Bhutan. A
cycle of lectures is under preparation now, they will be read in the Museum
of Anthropology and Ethnography of RAS (Chamber of Curiosities) and in the Russian
Geographical Society. A book about Bhutan is under editing now.
An expedition to Burma - one of the
most original countries of the South-East Asia (since 1989 the official country
name is Union of Myanma - took place in summer of 2002.The Roerich Family Museum
and Institute held it again with the support of the Funds: "The Roerich
Heritage" and "Eastern Union". The expedition members first arrived
in Rangoon (the capital of Burma), on its territory the greatest architectural
construction of all the South-East Asia is located - the Shvedagon Mortar. The
legend says that its erection is linked with the name of Buddha Shakyamuni himself.
Further on the expedition proceeded to the east of the country to the town of
Pegu, founded in the 16th century. On its territory ones of the most impressive
and ancient monuments of the Buddhist culture are located: gigantic lying Buddhas
Shvetalyan and Seytalian. And in two-hours ride by car one of the "world
wonders" is located - pendulous stone Chaitio. A huge boulder incomprehensibly
has been standing at the edge of the precipice for more than two thousand years
and unexplainably does not fall down. The legend says that this place was visited
by Buddha Gautama with his 500 students. As a memory about his visit he left
six his hairs to the hermits. Many years later the remaining alive hermit with
the help of the deity Sakka, built a mortar, the basis for which was formed
by the stone reminding the Buddha's head by its shape. Further was the town
of Piyi, with a world-known church complex Shvezando, which loftily dominates
the town. Then the expedition went to the Great Pagan, the city of fame of all
the Burman nation, visited one of the most well-known places of Burma - the
Poapa Mountain. In the Burman mythology the Poapa plays the role of a kind of
the Olympus, inhabited by the spirits of Nata - Burma protectors. At the end
the expedition visited the ancient Burma capitals in the north of the country
- Mandalai, Amarapura, Ava, Mingun, which can boast no less impressive architectural
monuments. Based on the expedition results a report was read on the seminars
of "St. Petersburg Roerich Collection" and in Vologda cultural centre
"Seagull".
More than 500 photos were made and a big slide programme prepared. A film about
Burma and a course of lectures in the Chamber of Curiosities and the Russian
Geographical Society are under preparation. The collections are transported.
One collection of the items of worship and every day life of Burma has been
handed over to the Chamber of Curiosities. The second collection will be represented
in the temporary exposition of the Roerich Family Museum and Institute. An exhibition
of photos and a report-book on Burma are under preparation.
Besides the expeditions in 2001-2002 the Roerich Family Museum and Institute
sent its staff and non-staff employees into scientific trips around Russia and
foreign countries. As a result of regular trips in the Valdai Hills intensive
creative and scientific collaboration with museum employees and specialists
of local lore of Novgorod and Tver regions has been established. Places of life
and creative work of the Roerichs unknown to the Roerichs' studies specialists
have been defined and correlated with the modern toponymy (Novo, Kluchino, Rozhdestvo,
etc). The exact place of birth of G.N.Roerich has been defined (the foundation
of the house which the Roerichs rented in the estate of Kunevo in Okulovka in
summer 1902), scientific and excursion itinerary "By the Path of Roerich"
has been discovered and arranged, etc.
Similar trips were made by the Museum and Institute employees in Pskov region
and included visits to the towns of Pskov, Ostrov (the motherland of N.K.Roerich's
mother), the Pushkin Hills, Opochka and Pechory, the villages of Stary Izborsk,
Malye Terebeni, Panutino, etc. Upon the results of the research in the local
archives and museums the report "G.N.Roerich's Godmother - M.V.Roerich
(Kalashnikova)" was prepared.
The trips to the Caucases expanded the geography of the Roerichs studies in
the European part of Russia, and also attracted the employees of museums of
Kislovodsk and other Caucasian cities to participation in "The Roerich
Heritage" Conference, who completed the picture of N.K.Roerich's dwelling
in the Caucases in 1913,1914 and 1916.
Numerous trips to Karelia with visits of Sortavala and Valaam led to the strengthening
of creative links with the Republican State Historical and Lore Museum of the
Northern Ladoga District. Due to this the database of "The Roerichs Power"
Programme was substantially enriched, the ideas on the sources of many art and
literature works by N.K.Roerich of the Karelian period of 1916-1918 were deepened.
During trips to Bashkiria after the invitation of the cultural centre "Rainbow"
(Neftekamsk) and Bashkiria Fund of Culture (Ufa) the Museum and Institute employees
delivered a course of lectures about the Roerich family, visited local monuments
of religion and nature, and also got acquainted with workers of museums, picture
galleries and musical schools of Neftekamsk and Ufa. The topics of these trips
were largely defined by the programmes of the Scientific and Social Centre "Cultural
Initiative", in which the Museum and Institute has been involved since
August 2001.
In 2001 a trip to the Roerich Museum in New York, was made. The Museum has been
spiritually supporting the process of establishing of the Roerich Museum in
St. Petersburg for many years. Our employees managed to fulfil all main goals
that had been set: got acquainted with the picturesque collection of the oldest
Museum of N.K.Roerich in the world, with the sources on the topic "International
League of Culture", diaries of H.I.Roerich and photo archives. N.K.Roerich
Museum in New York turned out to be a hospitable master in the person of its
employees: Damiel Entin, Aida Tulskaya and Guido Trepshi, and generously shared
all necessary copies and quotations from its priceless archives. Besides, the
trip members visited a number of Roerich places in New York, the main libraries,
galleries, museums and …. The World Trade Center, which was fiercely destroyed
a few months later. Materials from this trip made up the basis for a whole range
of publications and projects (first of all for the project of the World Ethics
Congress), they have widened the idea on what the museum interior should look
like in the time of modern information technologies.
At the end of October - beginning of November 2001 a trip to Odessa was made.
The main goals were to strengthen the links with the Odessa Committee of the
Pact of Culture and Peace named after Roerich and its institution - House Museum
named after N.K.Roerich in Odessa, as well as to widen the contacts with the
Ukrainian scientists and art workers. The founder of the Roerich Family Museum
and Institute, L.S. Mitusova read her speech at the International Academic and
Practical Conference "N.K.Roerich and G.I.Narbut. Collaboration and Creative
Activities. Graphics. Collections" and also took part in the creative meetings
of the Museum and Institute employees with the topic "The Roerich Family
and St. Petersburg. Let's Preserve the Continuity". Besides, two TV shows
with the trip participants were broadcast by the local television.
On August 5-11, 2002 the 8th World Congress of Mongolia Researches took place in Ulan-Bator. Around 300 scientists came for the Congress from 22 countries of the world, including Belgium, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Korea, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK and USA. The Roerich Family Museum and Institute was represented by the Russian delegation staff. The following reports were delivered at the Congress: "G.N.Roerich as an Outstanding Mongolia and Tibet Researcher" (at the special Congress session dedicated to G.N.Roerich's 100th anniversary) and "About the Work of G.N.Roerich in Mongolia and Tibet Research. Bibliography". In the course of the Congress work interesting trips on the outskirts of Ulan-Bator were made and talks were held with the figures of science, culture and religion from Mongolia regarding the perspective of collaboration with the Museum and Institute. Interesting contacts were established among scientists and musicians from Russia, Norway, Hungary, Finland, USA, Japan, Kazakhstan and other countries. They sent books, copies of articles and manuscripts to the library of the Museum and Institute. In return the Roerich Family Museum and Institute and the Roerich Centre of St. Petersburg State University handed over their publications issued in the last three years:
In the reported period a Museum and Institute employee went on scientific trips to Italy. The goal was to visit the places in Italy where the Roerichs some day went to and to discover new evidence about G.N.Roerich contacts with Italian Oriental researchers. As the result of the trips a report "Italian Letter of N.K.Roerich to his Wife (Contemporary Comments)" was read at the seminar of "St. Petersburg Roerich Collection, the ties with the Oriental studies Institutions in Rome were established.
SEASONAL SCIENTIFIC BASE IN VYSHNY VOLOCHEK
In 2001 the Roerich Family Museum and Institute acquired a piece of land in
the village of Beriozka in Vyshny Volochek region. There is a two-floor wooden
house on this land, not far from that place stood the country house where the
Roerichs spent summers at the beginning of the 20th century. Just opposite the
acquired piece of land there stands the country house of academician, B.S.Sokolov,
one of the curators of the Roerich museum activities in St. Petersburg. For
many years he has been the member of the Inter-departmental state commission
on N.K.Roerich's heritage, and was closely acquainted with S.N.Roerich. It was
Boris Sergeevich who advised to buy this highest in the village piece of land
to establish on it the Museum and Institute seasonal scientific base in Vyshny
Volochek.
Currently the house has electricity supplies, a wooden fence, gates, etc. All
the works on the base development are supervised by Vyshny Volochek Educational
Assistance Fund "Irida-Pros", administration of the town of Vyshny
Volochek and Vyshny Volochek district are providing active assistance. In summer
2002 the seasonal scientific base in Vyshny Volochek welcomed its first guests
- interns of the Faculty of Biology of Tver State University and members of
the historical and ecological itinerary, developed by the Museum and Institute
together with the Interregional Scientific and Social Centre "Cultural
Initiative" (within the programme of "The Roerich Heritage" Conference).
In the year that passed since the foundation of the scientific base, the scientific
concept of the Roerich Family Museum and Institute, Vyshny Volochek Branch has
been elaborated. It contains permanent memorial and art exposition "The
Roerichs in the Valdai", exposition of the modern art "The Roerich
Places", methodology educational and art cabinet. In 2001-2002 a few work
meetings with academician B.S.Sokolov were held in Beriozka and Moscow, they
were devoted to the elaboration of the concept of the Roerich Family Museum
and Institute in St. Petersburg and more specifically of its scientific base
in Vyshny Volochek. The key was made the presumption that the base should become
the seasonal coordination centre of archaeological, ethnographical, historical
and lore, natural scientific and other research of the Roerich place in the
Valdai and neighbour regions of Russia. It will also cover the following programmes:
MEDICAL SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH CENTRE
In the scope of development of Roerich scientific approaches, the Museum and Institute has designed a project of a Medical Scientific and Research Centre. Its basic concept contains the experience of the Institute of the Himalayan Research "Urusvati", founded by the Roerichs in India in 1928, and more specifically its natural scientific programme. According to the project the main trend of the centre activities are as follows:
VIDEO FILMS AND TV PROGRAMMES SHOOTING
In the course of 2001-2002 the Roerich Family Museum and Institute took part in the shooting of the following video films:
Among TV and radio shows which were regularly arranged and attended by the Museum and Institute employees were:
Besides, the Museum and Institute continued the making of video archives, on which basis a TV studio could work. The first documentary film "Nicholas Roerich", 1958 was obtained, restored and transferred to BTC and VHS format, as well as materials of the film shooting with S.N.Roerich and Devika Rani Roerich, that were not included into the documentary film "Nicholas Roerich", 1975 were transferred to the modern format. Videos of all passed conferences and seminar were handed to the video archives of the Museum and Institute. Memoirs of the Roerichs' contemporaries, prominent scientists and cultural workers are put on video, they were: academician B.S.Sokolov, chemist S.A.Kozhin who visited S.N.Roerich in Bangalore, cousin of G.N.Roerich, L.S.Mitusova, student of G.N.Roerich, Orientalist M.I.Vorobieva-Desiatovskaya and some others. In 2002 Museum and Institute prepared the project of a film "Love me, as you do now, always!" about the Roerich family (project author T.M.Zanko, script writer V.L.Melnikov, director R.P.Sergienko). The film will lay the beginning of the documentary cycle "Culture of the Russian Family". The film shooting is delayed due to the insufficient fund raising from State Cinema Production.
