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Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich
About museum
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich — a Russian painter, stage designer, archaeologist, public figure, writer, and academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. From an early age Roerich showed an interest in painting, history, archaeology and the cultures of Russia and the East. His artistic talent was noticed and developed thanks to Mikhail Mikeshin — an artist and a friend of his father.
In 1893 Roerich entered the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he studied in the studio of the well-known landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi. Roerich's first journey in 1899 was a water trip from Petersburg to Novgorod, retracing the routes of the ancient Varangians, which awakened in him a passion for travel and strongly influenced his work devoted to Russian history. In subsequent years, together with his wife, he traveled extensively throughout Russia, studying ancient architecture, organizing exhibitions and holding leadership positions. Roerich was director of the Drawing School and head of the "Mir Iskusstva" (World of Art) association.
In 1916, due to health problems, Roerich moved to Finland, where he found himself cut off from his homeland after the 1917 Revolution. He spent the following years traveling across Europe and America, and in 1923 set out on a Central Asian expedition to India. The country captivated him, and in 1935 he settled in the Kullu Valley at the foothills of the Himalayas. During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) Roerich actively supported the USSR, publishing articles in newspapers, speaking on the radio, and creating works on patriotic themes: "The Campaign of Igor", "Alexander Nevsky", "Partisans", "Victory", "The Bogatyrs Have Awakened".
Nikolai Roerich left a rich legacy, including nearly thirty books, among them such landmark works as "Altai — Himalayas: A Travel Diary", "East — West" and "The Heart of Asia", as well as about seven thousand paintings. He was the initiator and author of the idea of the Roerich Pact (Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments) — the world's first international agreement aimed at protecting cultural heritage both during armed conflicts and in peacetime. Roerich was also the founder of international cultural movements promoting ideas of peace and a recipient of numerous awards from various countries. In India he founded the Himalayan Institute of Studies "Urusvati", as well as a number of other educational and public organizations. Nikolai Roerich died on December 13, 1947 in the Kullu Valley.
Музеи в честь персоны
Date of birth
09 October 1874
Date of death
13 December 1947
Occupation
Artist