International Center of the Roerichs: address, exhibitions, excursions

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In the center of Moscow, walking along the lanes near Kropotkinskaya, you can accidentally come across an unusual building with an elegant portico. Next to him is a dark monument. A noble lady with a flower in her hand and a strict man with a bushy beard lean on a thick folio. These people are Helena and Nicholas Roerich, and the building is called the International Center of the Roerichs. The family, each member of which had an outstanding talent, made an invaluable contribution to the study and development of Russian culture. This small Moscow home preserves and preserves her outstanding heritage.

Nicholas Roerich: short biography

The future head of the family was born in 1874 in St. Petersburg. He was interested in history, archeology, painting since childhood, and this determined his future life. Nicholas Roerich graduated from the gymnasium, then entered St. Petersburg University, and later - the Academy of Arts. In 1895, Roerich began to study painting with Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi. After graduating from the Academy of Arts, the young man begins his career in the Society for the Encouragement of Artists and at the same time in the editorial office of the Mirart.”

Nicholas Roerich met his future wife, Elena Shaposhnikova, in 1899. The kinship of views and beliefs, deep mutual sympathy were immediately obvious. Young people got married two years after they met. They went on trips and expeditions together. So, in 1903-1904 they traveled to more than 40 Russian cities in search of the origins of Russian culture.

Between expeditions, Roerich managed to engage in literary and artistic creativity. He collaborated with Diaghilev and designed theatrical performances for him, made mosaic paintings for churches and, of course, painted pictures. In his canvases, the artist was inspired by ancient Russian subjects, and later by mysterious India.

During the revolution of 1917, the family ended up in Finland and could not get back to St. Petersburg. Thus began the long years of emigration. The Roerichs changed several Scandinavian countries, lived in London and America. Nikolai and Elena dreamed of visiting Central Asia, and in 1923 the dream was destined to come true. The five-year Asian expedition of the Roerichs to this day remains one of the most grandiose researches in the world. Its significance is difficult to overestimate both for culture and for geography. New peaks and passes have been discovered, the rarest scientific material has been collected, unique manuscripts and archaeological sites have been found. All this could have remained a dream, if not for Nicholas Roerich. The sketches and paintings created by the artist during this expedition are one of the pearls of Russian fine art.

At the end of 1928, the Roerichs settled in India, in the Kullu Valley. Here the artist was destined to end his years. The family never lived too luxuriously, and long-distance expeditions to Central Asia, India and Tibet accustomed its members to Spartan conditions. Time never passed in idleness. Each of the family members was busy with their own affairs, and in the evenings everyone gathered at a common table and discussed the achievements of the day. The way of life of the Roerichs has always been measured and laborious. In India, Roerich founded the Institute of Himalayan Research, but later lost it due to the unscrupulous machinations of his confidant. Betrayal did not knock down the artist. He took part in several more expeditions, continued to paint and work on books, and developed the ideas of Living Ethics.

During the Great Patriotic War, the artist transfers the proceeds from the sale of his paintings to the needs of the Red Army. He calls for peace and unity of mankind through newspaper articles and paintings. Far from his homeland, he remained a patriot. Having visited most of the countries of Europe and Asia, having traveled all over America, Roerich had only Russian citizenship. After the end of the war, he applied for a visa to go home, but died before he knew that the visa had been denied.

Helena Roerich

The artist's wife was an outstanding woman. As a girl, she was interested in philosophy and literature. Elena was preparing for a career as a pianist, but life brought her together with the young artist Nicholas Roerich. After the wedding, she did not turn into a home hen, remaining a muse and best friend for her husband, a “friend”, as he was hercalled. Together with him, she went on expeditions, putting up with the simple conditions of camp life.

Elena Ivanovna mastered the art of restoration and photography. An extraordinary artistic flair manifested itself in the creation of a magnificent collection of art objects, which was later donated to the Hermitage. Knowing that her husband was busy, that he often did not have enough time to read, Elena Ivanovna turned into his eyes: she got acquainted with the book and recounted to her husband what she considered the most important.

Family life

The Roerichs have always been surrounded by rumors and legends. The mysterious life of the family has repeatedly become a topic for discussion by the Moscow intelligentsia. Although in the Soviet Union, for one mention of them, one could easily go to the camp. It's a paradox, but with all the interest, the legacy of the family has not been fully explored.

The history of the Roerichs began at the end of October 1901. As with any new family, the housing problem immediately arose. The newlyweds changed a lot of addresses before settling near the Moika in 1906. Many sad minutes brought the couple and financial difficulties. The modest salary of the secretary of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists would not be enough for a decent city life and expeditions at the same time. Fortunately, Nicholas Roerich also received roy alties for his paintings and literary works.

All friends who came to the house noted with emotion that they had never met such a harmonious family. The relationship between Elena and Nikolai strengthened even more after the birthsons Yuri and Svyatoslav in 1902 and 1904.

Children of the Roerichs

From the first years, the boys were treated as full members of the family. They were taken on trips, the opinion of children was always considered. The brothers grew up different from each other. Yuri was interested in history, Asia and Egypt. Svyatoslav, or, as he was affectionately called, Svetka, was passionate about the natural sciences, modeling, and drawing. Elena Ivanovna did not look for the soul in children, Nicholas Roerich himself took a direct part in the upbringing. The children received an excellent education at the Sorbonne and Harvard. As adults, they remembered their parents with great warmth and love, considering themselves to be indebted to their upbringing and example. Yuri Nikolaevich devoted his life to scientific work. He headed the Urusvati Himalayan Institute in India, and after returning to his homeland, he worked at the Institute of Oriental Studies.

Svyatoslav Roerich followed in his father's footsteps and became an artist. He was engaged in educational work and directed the School of Arts. It was he who initiated the creation of the Soviet Roerich Fund in 1989.

International Center of the Roerichs

Svyatoslav Nikolaevich handed over to the Soviet Roerich Fund (SFR) the archives of his parents, kept in India. The Lopukhins' estate was provided by the government for their storage. In 1991, the SFR was reorganized into the International Center of the Roerichs (ICR). From its foundation to the present, the center's right to the artist's legacy has been challenged in court. In turn, the center makes claims to the Museum of the East, which holds part of the paintings. To this heprobably has the right, since the Roerich Museum, to which the Lopukhins' mansion was transferred for use, was founded as a branch of the Museum of the Peoples of the East.

Since 2008, a scandalous trial has been dragging on, as a result of which the ICR may lose the estate and rights to the Roerichs' heritage. Then all the exhibits and documents will be transferred to the Museum of the East, and their further fate will be unknown.

Museum display

Despite the litigation, the Roerich Museum continues to function. Here you can touch the amazing life of the family, better understand the philosophy of these people, imbued with their ideas. The exposition presents books from the Roerichs' library, gifts from friends and teachers, their personal belongings, family heirlooms, rare manuscripts, a collection of ancient bronze objects from the Kullu Valley, where the Roerichs lived for a long time, numerous photo archives and, of course, sketches, sketches and paintings. Nikolai Konstantinovich and his son.

At first, Roerich's exhibition was located in a small wing of the estate, but now the main building is reserved for the exposition. The museum has several halls, each of which is dedicated to a specific topic. There is the Introductory Hall, the St. Petersburg Hall, the Russian Hall, the Hall of the Teachers, Living Ethics, the Hall of the Banner of Peace and others. You can get acquainted with them on your own, but it is much more interesting to learn something new on the tour.

Tours

The International Center of the Roerichs itself arranges thematic and sightseeing tours of the museum. Of course, this needs to be negotiated.in advance. Here they will talk about the life of family members, their amazing travels, life in India, friends and teachers. It will be possible to get acquainted with the paintings of Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerich and get comprehensive answers from an experienced museum employee. Excursion programs are available for different age categories: for both schoolchildren and adults.

If you want to move and explore the museum at your own pace, you can purchase an audio guide and immerse yourself in the study of the artist's life and paintings on your own.

Many of the walking tour agencies in Moscow also arrange tours that talk about Roerich's Moscow friends and places associated with him. As a rule, such a trip ends with a tour of the museum.

Museum Activities

The center actively participates in exhibition activities. He hosts the collections of partners in his building and himself provides paintings for exhibition in galleries. So, in 2014, the museum took part of the work to St. Petersburg for an exhibition at the Russian Museum. In May 2016, an author's exhibition of the artist Yuri Kuznetsov will open here. In addition, thematic exhibitions are regularly held dedicated to certain pages of the life of the Roerichs - expeditions, travels, friends.

In addition to exhibitions, music evenings, discussions, lectures, seminars and master classes are organized here. An art studio is constantly working, which will be interesting for both children and adults. The Center takes part in the state campaigns Night at the Museum and Day at the Museum.

How to get there

Get incenter is very simple. It is located in the heart of Moscow at Maly Znamensky lane, 3/5. If you exit from Kropotkinskaya near the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the museum will be directly opposite, you just need to cross the Volkhonka. Its closest neighbors are the Pushkin Museum, the Gallery of European and American Art, and the Glazunov Gallery.