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Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich was born on September
27 (9 October), 1874 in St. Petersburg, on Bazil Island, University embankment,
number 25, where now a memorial plaque is installed. N.K.Roerich's ancestors
belonged to an ancient Scandinavian kin and had settled in Russia at the
beginning of the 18th century. His father was the owner of the notary's
office, a prominent lawyer, a man of big culture and great erudition.
N.K. Roerich studied in the gymnasium of Karl May, known for its humanitarian
traditions. In those years he showed skills for drawing and interest for
archaeological digs.
In 1893 he became a student of the Academy of Arts and the Faculty of
Law of St. Petersburg State University, attended lectures at the Faculty
of History and Philology, took active part in the activities of the Imperial
Russian Archaeological Society (since 1896), studied ancient manuscripts,
charters and drawings. "Legal Status of an Artist in Ancient Russia"
was the topic of his thesis.
In the High Drawing School of the Academy of Arts he was studying in the
studio of A.I.Kuindgi. And when the teacher had been unfairly fired, he
protesting, left the Academy together with other students in 1897.
N. Roerich."They are dragging". 1915
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In these years he created a series of
paintings "The Beginning of Russia. The Slavs". This topic became
a leading one in his creative activities for a number of years.
In 1901 N.K.Roerich married Helena Ivanovna Shaposhnikova, the daughter
of a well-known architect. She was a grandniece of the commander M.I.Golenishev-Kutuzov,
a charming and talented woman.
Together with his wife N.K. Roerich left for archaeological expeditions,
travelled around ancient Russian towns, got acquainted with the Russian
folklore and architecture. More than 90 paintings devoted to the history
of Russia became the result of the trips of 1903-1904.
In 1906 N.K.Roerich headed the School of Drawing of the Imperial Society
for Encouragement of Arts - the biggest artistic and industrial educational
institution in Russia. The Ancient Russian history and epos became the
main topic of Roerich's works of art of that time. On his canvases he
was combining the knowledge of the scientist-archaeologist and the artist's
delicate intuition. These topics were also embodied in the theatre scenery
painting. He created the scenery sketches and costume design for the following
operas of N.K.Rimsky-Korsakov: "Snow Maiden", "Pskovityanka",
"Sadko", "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh",
to the ballet by I.Stravinsky "The Sacred Spring", etc. In 1909
N.K. Roerich took part in the enterprise of S.P.Dyagilev - well-known
"Russian Ballet Seasons" in Paris.
Roerich created a whole series of paintings on fairy tales subjects, folklore
drew his utmost attention. "We are surrounded by wonders, but we
are blind and do not see them. We are flown with opportunities, but do
not see them in the darkness", wrote Roerich, appealing to treat
fairy tales and legends with attention because they combine historic facts
and knowledge about the surrounding world.
The interest to the life of ancient Slavs, to the sources of Ancient Russia
organically combined with the interest towards East - the cradle of the
human civilization. "I have been driven to the heart of Asia for
a long time, since yearly years", writes Roerich in the "Diary
Pages" The artist created a large number of artistic and literature
works using oriental subjects, mainly adopted from the Indian mythology.
India, the "great mother" of European cultures, "the initial
motherland" of the mankind was causing his special interest. The
hypothesis about the same roots of Indian and Russian cultures required
evidence and facts…
N. Roerich. and H. Roerich.
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In 1910 he became the Head of the Artistic
Society "The World of Art", which united A.N.Benois, M.V.Dobuzhinsky,
K.A.Somov, V.E.Borisov-Musatov, Z.E. Serebryakova, E.E.Lanseret and many
others. In 1910-ies in St. Petersburg Roerich took part in the work and
sometimes in the foundation of numerous educational institutions: the
School of Drawing of the Imperial Society for Encouragement of Arts, Museum
of Old St. Petersburg, Society named after A.I.Kuindgi, Society of artists-architects,
and Committee on the foundation of the Museum of Art and Life of times
before Peter the Great, Russian Art and Ancient Life Monuments Preservation
Society, Artistic Russia Recreation Society, Ladies' Higher Architectural
Knowledge Courses, Ladies' Artistic and Industrial Workshops, Workshops
for Physically Disabled Former Warriors. His talent and skills as well
as the recognition of him as an artist who has found a unique niche and
particular expressive artistic language were continuously growing. With
his prophetical works just before World War I ("Snake's scream",
"Doomed Town", etc) he gained the fame of the "great intuitionalist".
In 1918 a new "foreign" stage in N.K.Roerich's life began. It
turned out that in 1916 he fell ill with pneumonia and doctors recommended
him to leave Petrograd for places with a drier climate. He chose Serdobol
(Sortavala), on the north shore of the Ladoga Lake. The time spent in
the north proved to be very fruitful in what regards his creative activities:
the Karelian cycle of paintings, autobiographical novel "Flame",
poetical cycle "Moria's Flowers", miracle play " Mercy",
in which the painter expressed his point of view on the revolutionary
catastrophe in Russia and the role of the genuine Knowledge in the human
life. It was then that the painter's spiritual formation was finished
and his further way got defined. After Finland gained independence the
Roerichs found themselves cut off from Russia. Roerich's attitude towards
the Bolsheviks' politics, especially in the field of culture was more
than just negative. Since his paintings were exhibited in Finland, Sweden
and Norway, he lived in these countries for some time. Then after S.P
Dyagilev who was at that time conducting the Russian Ballet Seasons in
London invited him, Roerich came to England and started painting the scenery
and creating costumes for Russian operas "Snow Maiden", "Prince
Igor", "Fairy Tale about Tsar Saltan".
N. Roerich in the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York
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ÂIn 1920 N.K.Roerich accepted the invitation
from Chicago University to arrange an exhibition. In the USA where he
spent three years he got a wonderful opportunity to expand his cultural
and educational activities, as well as thoroughly prepare an expedition
to Central Asia. His organizational talent showed itself in the foundation
of the Institute of United Arts, International Art Centre "Corona
Mundi" ("The World's Wreath"), which purpose was the cultural
collaboration of all nations. It was then that the Museum named after
N.K.Roerich was founded in New York. The painter's spiritual life was
no less intense. His manuscripts of the Teacher's directions, known from
the times of E.P.Blavatskaya as Mahatma Moria, form a separate book -
"The Leaves of Moria's Garden. Summons". It became the first
volume of the widely known Theory of Living Ethics, or Agni Yoga. Roerich
also visited Arizona and New Mexico to study and depict on canvas the
tracks of Ancient American civilizations. However the Orient remained
the main N.K.Roerich's dream.
Starting from 1923 the Roerich family went on a great 5-years'
long voyage around India, Central Asia, to the Tibet, North-Western China,
in the Altai Mountains and Mongolia. In these years Roerich created around
500 paintings (cycles "Sancta", "Oriental Banners";
"The Strongholds of the Tibet", etc). He also conducted research
of the artistic monuments, ancient manuscripts, rites and traditions,
religious cults, created numerous collections. Roerich created the images
of the great Teaches and hermits of the mankind - Buddha, Krishna, Mahomet,
San Francesco d'Assisi, Sergi Radonezhsky, of the philosophers Confucius
and Lao-Tzu. In these years his doctrine on culture was finally formed.
In 1926 the Roerichs came to Moscow. The artist passed to
the Soviet Government the message of Mahatmas, oriental spiritual teachers.
He met with G.V.Chicherin and A.V.Lunacharsky, presented to Russia a cycle
of paintings "Majtreja" and continued his voyage around Asia.
At the end of the great Central Asian expedition Roerich published his
voyage diary "The Altai-Himalaya" and a book "The Heart
of Asia", in which he described the way of his expedition across
35 mountain passes. He succeeded in catching up the sense of the prophecies
and legends that are alive since ancient times, touched the mysteries
of Shambala. "The Shambala Doctrine is highly vital", wrote
Roerich. "This doctrine from the Himalayan does not offer dreams
but it offers very practical advice". The main mistake is the simplified
understanding of Shambala, search for a particular place on a geographic
map. Way to Shambala is a way of consciousness.
In 1928 Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich and Helena Ivanovna
Roerich founded the Institute of the Himalayan Studies "Urusvati"
in the Indian valley of Kulu. Their son George Roerich was appointed its
Head. (The Institute that once attracted attention of a number of prominent
scientists like A.Einstein, N.I.Vavilov, D.Boshet terminated its activities
because of the World War II.) The valley of Kulu became the permanent
place of living for the Roerichs. From Kulu at the beginning of 1930-ies
Roerich started his voyage to the USA and Europe and then went for an
expedition. These efforts led to signing in 1935 of the Roerich Pact,
International Agreement on Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions
as well as Historical Monuments during war and peace.
In 1934-1935 Roerich visited China and Mongolia (Manchuria expedition).
Upon the assignment of the US Ministry of agriculture he was conducting
research of drought-resistant plants. Besides, he was involved in a vast
social educational programme among Russian immigrants in Harbin. Together
with his son George and brother V.K.Roerich, he was establishing the cooperative
movement. Big plans on irrigation of the desert lands and creation of
new settlements and University centre were developed based on the aspiration
of help from Mongolia government. The programme article "Let the
Deserts Flourish" is devoted to these ideas. Since 1935 Roerich lived
in Kulu, devoting a lot of time to painting, publishing, correspondence
and great public work, meeting with progressive Indian figures (J.Neru
and I.Gandi were his guests). He returned to the topic of the fate of
Russia again and again, writing down in his notebook: "All around
me I can see two topics combined together - Russia and the Himalaya".
That is why so natural was the painting of such canvases as: "Heroes
Waking Up", "Sviatogor", "Nastasia Mikulichna"
devoted to the deed of the Russian nation in the Great Patriotic War.
There was one thing that distinguished this person till his last days
- he was extraordinarily hard-working. The total number of his canvases,
according to the estimations of fine arts specialists, varies from five
to seven thousand. The literature heritage of N.K.Roerich is no less great:
ten volumes were published in his lifetime, but this is far not the full
collection of notes, essays, articles, letters and speeches, the best
description for which was chosen by the Indian professor Gengoli - "spiritual
appeals".
N.K. Roerich died on December 13, 1947 in the valley of Kulu. A monument
was erected on the place where his body was cremated. The monument has
the following inscription:
"The body of the Great Saint (Maharishi) Nicholas Roerich, a great
friend of India was burnt at this place on Maghar 30, 2004 of the Vikram
era, which coincides with December 15, 1974. Om ram".
The Roerichs
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