Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich is an outstanding figure in Russian and world culture. Artist, philosopher, writer, scientist, public figure and traveler. After himself, he left a huge creative legacy - over seven thousand paintings, about thirty volumes of literary works.

Childhood and youth

Nicholas Roerich was born in St. Petersburg on October 9, 1874. His father Konstantin Fedorovich Roerich was an influential lawyer in the city. Mother Maria Vasilievna was a housewife, raised children. Nicholas had an older sister, Lydia, and two younger brothers, Vladimir and Boris.

As a child, the boy became interested in history, read a lot. The sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin, who was a frequent visitor to the Roerich family, noticed that Nikolai had a talent for drawing, and began to teach him the artistic craft. Roerich studied at the Karl May gymnasium. His classmates were Alexander Benois, Dmitry Filosofov.

Upon graduation, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts. And at the same time studied at the university as a lawyer. At the academy he worked in the workshop of a famous artist. At this time, he closely communicated with Anatoly Lyadov and others.

As a student, he went to archaeological excavations, and in 1895 he became a member of the Russian Archaeological Society. On these trips, he recorded stories of local folklore.

In 1897, Nicholas Roerich graduated from the Academy of Arts. His graduation work was the painting "Messenger", which he purchased for his gallery. At the same time, the young artist received the position of assistant head of the Imperial Museum, and at the same time worked in the publication Art and the Art Industry.

Painting

In 1900, Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich decided to go to Paris, where he studied at the studios of the artists Fernand Cormon and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Upon his return, Roerich preferred to write historical subjects. The paintings “Idols”, “Rooks are being built”, “Elders converge”, etc. belong to the early period of his work. The artist worked in the field of monumental and theatrical and decorative painting.

Beginning in 1905, Roerich worked on the design of ballet, opera and drama productions. During this period of time, Nikolai Konstantinovich was actively involved in the revival of artistic Russia and the preservation of ancient monuments.

In 1903, he organizes a trip to the ancient Russian cities. At this time, he writes a series of sketches with architectural monuments of Russia. The artist also creates sketches for painting churches and chapels. In 1910, he participated in archaeological excavations, in which he managed to discover the remains of the Kremlin of Ancient Novgorod.

In 1913, Roerich began work on two panels - "The Battle of Kerzhents" and "The Conquest of Kazan". The dimensions of the paintings were impressive. "The Conquest of Kazan" was created to decorate the Kazansky railway station in Moscow. But because of the war, the construction of the station was delayed. The panel was temporarily transferred to the Academy of Arts.

But its new leader, for his own personal reasons, decided to destroy the Academy Museum and all the exhibits that were in it. As a result, Roerich's canvas was cut into pieces and distributed to students. This is how the work of the great artist irretrievably perished.

Nikolai Konstantinovich also worked on the design of book and magazine graphics, for example, he participated in the creation of an edition of Maurice Maeterlinck's plays. In 1918 Roerich moved to the USA. In New York, he created the Institute of United Arts. In 1923, the Roerich Museum began to function in the city - it was the first museum of a Russian artist opened outside of Russia.

But perhaps the greatest mark on Roerich's work was left by his expedition to the Himalayas. In 1923 he and his family came to India. He immediately began to prepare for the most important journey of his life - an expedition to remote places in Central Asia.

These territories interested him not only as an artist. He wanted to study and solve the problems associated with the world migration of ancient peoples. The route was long and difficult. It passed through Sikkim, Kashmir, Xinjiang (China), Siberia, Altai, Tibet and even the untrodden regions of the Trans-Himalaya.

By the amount of material collected, this expedition can be safely listed among the largest expeditions of the 20th century. It lasted 39 months - from 1925 to 1928.

Perhaps Roerich's most popular paintings were created precisely under the impression of this journey and the great mountains. The artist created a series of paintings "Teachers of the East", "Mother of the World" - a cycle dedicated to the Great Feminine Principle. During this period he painted over 600 paintings. Philosophical searches came to the fore in his work.

Literature

The literary heritage of Nicholas Roerich is also great. He published a collection of poems "Flowers of Moria", several prose books - "Flaming Stronghold", "Altai-Himalayas", "Shambhala", etc.

But, perhaps, the main literary work of Roerich is the spiritual teaching "Agni Yoga" or "Living Ethics". It was created with the participation of the wife of Nicholas Konstantinovich - Helena Roerich. First of all, this is the philosophy of cosmic reality, the natural evolution of the Cosmos. According to the teachings, the meaning of human evolution is spiritual enlightenment and perfection.

In 1929, thanks to Nicholas Roerich, a new stage in the history of all mankind began - the Roerich Pact was adopted. It was the first document in history that dealt with the protection of world cultural heritage. The Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments was signed by 21 countries.

Personal life

A significant year for Nicholas Roerich was 1899. He met his future wife -. She came from a family of St. Petersburg intellectuals. From childhood she was fond of drawing and playing the piano, later she began to study philosophy, religion and mythology. They immediately imbued each other, looked at the world the same way. Therefore, their sympathy soon grew into a strong feeling. In 1901, young people got married.

All their lives they complemented each other creatively and spiritually. Elena Ivanovna shared any undertakings of her husband, was a reliable companion and true friend. In 1902, their first-born son Yuri was born. And in 1904, the son Svyatoslav was born.

In his books, Roerich called Elena Ivanovna nothing more than an “inspirer” and a “friend.” He showed new paintings to her first of all, trusting her intuition and taste. In all travels and expeditions, Elena Ivanovna accompanied her husband. Thanks to her, Roerich got acquainted with the works of Indian thinkers.

There is a version that Elena Ivanovna was ill with a mental illness. Their family doctor Yalovenko testified to this. He wrote that the woman was suffering from an "epileptic aura". According to him, such patients often hear voices and see invisible objects. The doctor also informed Nikolai Konstantinovich about this. But he took this information coldly. Roerich often fell under her influence and even believed in her psychic abilities.

Death

Back in 1939, Nikolai Konstantinovich was diagnosed with heart disease. In recent years, the artist wanted to return to Russia, but the war broke out, then he was denied an entry visa. In the spring of 1947, however, the long-awaited permission came. The Roerich family began to prepare for their departure.

On December 13, 1947, when things and over 400 paintings were packed, Nikolai Konstantinovich was finishing the painting “Order to the teacher”. Suddenly, his heart stopped beating. They buried the great artist according to Indian custom - burn the body and scatter it in the wind from the top of the mountain. At the place of cremation, a monument was erected with the inscription:

"To the great Russian friend of India".

Artworks

• 1897 - "Messenger (Clan upon clan has risen)"
• 1901 - "Overseas guests"
• 1901 - "Idols"
• 1905 - Treasure of the Angels
• 1912 - "The Last Angel"
• 1922 - "And we work"
• 1931 - "Zarathustra"
• 1931 - "The Lights of Victory"
• 1932 - "Saint Sergius of Radonezh"
• 1933 - "The Way to Shambola"
• 1936 - "Ship of the Desert (Lone Traveler)"
• 1938 - "Everest"

Bibliography

• 1931 - "Power of Light"
• 1990 - Light Up Hearts
• 1991 - "Gateway to the Future"
• 1991 - "Unbreakable"
• 1994 - "On the Eternal ..."
• 2004 - "Agni Yoga in 5 volumes"
• 2008 - "Sign of the Era"
• 2009 - "Altai - Himalayas"
• 2011 - Flowers of Morya
• 2012 - "The Myth of Atlantis"
• 2012 - "Shambhala"
• 2012 - Shining Shambhala

The album contains 2680 paintings and drawings by Nicholas Roerich, collected in chronological order and divided into 6 parts.

short biography

Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, artist, archaeologist, writer, lawyer and peace envoy was born in St. Petersburg on October 9, 1874. Already at an early age, he showed a talent for archeology and drawing. At the age of sixteen, he wanted to enter the Academy of Fine Arts to pursue a career as an artist, but his father insisted that he become a lawyer. A compromise was reached and in 1893 Nikolai entered the Academy of Arts and St. Petersburg University at the same time.

Early years

In the late 1890s there was a flourishing of Russian art, especially in St. Petersburg, where the avant-garde formed groups and alliances led by the young Sergei Diaghilev, who studied with Roerich at law school and was one of the first to appreciate his artistic talent. The young artist met many composers and artists of that time - Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky and bass Fyodor Chaliapin. He later designed music sets for these composers.

After graduating from university, Roerich married Elena, the daughter of the architect Shaposhnikov and the niece of the composer Mussorgsky. They had two sons: Svyatoslav and George.

Roerich assumed the post of secretary of the School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, later becoming its head, the first of many positions that Roerich would take as a teacher and artist.

The unification of the arts that Roerich encouraged testified to his ability to harmonize and find correspondences between apparent conflicts or opposites in all spheres of life. His talent for synthesis allowed him to correlate subjective sensations with objective, philosophical, scientific, Eastern wisdom with Western knowledge and build bridges of understanding between such apparent contradictions.

Artist and designer

In the summer of 1903 and 1904, the Roerichs traveled around Russia and visited, in total, about 40 cities. The aim was to contrast the styles and historical context of Russian ancient monuments, churches, city walls and castles. It turned out that in many cases it had been neglected for centuries. As an archaeologist and art critic, Nikolai attached a key importance to this in the cultural history of Russia. He decided to pay attention to the situation and somehow organize the protection and preservation of ancient monuments, for this purpose he wrote a series of seventy-five works.

The impressions of this journey had a lasting effect, for on his return in 1904 Roerich unveiled a plan which he hoped would promote the widespread protection of such cultural property, a plan set forth thirty-one years later in the Roerich Pact. This kind of thinking was not common in those days, it emphasized the importance of what most countries of the world are doing today in terms of preserving their cultural heritage.

In 1906 Sergei Diaghilev organized an exhibition of Russian paintings in Paris. Sixteen works by Nicholas Roerich were presented there. And in 1909, he presented Chaliapin in Rimsky-Korsakov's Ivan the Terrible, with costumes and outfits designed by Roerich. In the Polovskie dances from Borodin's King Igor, also designed by Roerich, and in other ballets, Diaghilev introduced a corps of Russian dancers that later became known as the Ballets Russes, which included Pavlova, Fokine and Nijinsky.

Nicholas Roerich actively worked with Igor Stravinsky on the ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (Spring Rite).

In 1915-1917 the Roerich family lived in Finland. A revolution was raging in Russia and a return would be dangerous. In 1918, Nikolai held an exhibition of paintings in Stockholm, and from there the family went to London. Sir Thomas Beecham invited the artist to design a new production of Prince Igor for the Covent Garden Opera House.

Roerich later accepted an invitation from the Art Institute of Chicago to come to America. The tour opened with a successful exhibition in New York in 1920. In addition to showing more than 400 of his paintings in American cities, Roerich worked on the sets and costumes for the performances of The Snow Maiden and Tristan and Isolde for the Chicago Opera Company. During his travels in America, he painted a series of paintings in New Mexico and in Monhegan, Maine. He was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit that prevailed in America, and Nicholas described the positive impact that this developing phenomenon had on the world.

In 1921 he founded the Institute of United Arts in New York, where he planned to implement the educational concepts included in the curriculum in St. Petersburg. The Institute flourished but did not survive after 1937 due to the Great Depression. The funds ran out and this caused the complete collapse of the organization that Roerich and his supporters were trying to build.

In 1949, the institute was revived as the Nicholas Roerich Museum in a brownstone building on West 107th Street, where it still operates today. It houses one of the most extensive collections of the artist's work in the world.

Faith and Spirit

In May 1923, the Roerichs went to India, where on this ageless land, among the snows of the Himalayan range, they sought to unite their thoughts with eternity. They settled in Bombay in December 1923 and from there began to travel to cultural centers and historical sites where they met Indian thinkers, scientists, artists and writers. By the end of December, in Sikkim on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, they began the arduous trek through thirty-five mountain passes from four to six and a half kilometers in height.

Roerich believed that the mountains help to gain courage and develop fortitude. And, despite the obstacles, wherever they went, the Roerichs' faith in the essential goodness of life and the spirituality of man only grew stronger.

Roerich's masterpieces from the Eastern series of nineteen paintings depicting the religious teachers of the world, Mohammed, Jesus, Moses, Confucius and Buddha, Indian and Christian saints and sages, testified to the unity of religious aspiration and the common roots of human faith.

At the end of this large-scale expedition, in 1928, the family settled in the Kullu Valley at an altitude of 2000 meters in the foothills of the Himalayas. There they established their home and the headquarters of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute, which was organized to study the results of past and future research. The activities of the Institute included botanical, ethnological, linguistic and archaeological research.

Banner of Peace

Upon his return to New York, Nicholas Roerich proposed to conclude an agreement on the protection of cultural property in times of war and peace. Using the Red Cross as an example, he drafted a Pact which proposed that a flag, the "Banner of Peace", would mark all places under his protection. The design of this flag uses three spheres surrounded by a magenta circle on a white background. The interpretation of this symbol is based on the union of religion, art and science, which are aspects of culture, depicted as a circle or past, present and future achievements of mankind, protected in the circle of Eternity.

The Roerich Pact was agreed upon by twenty countries of North and South America and signed on May 15, 1935 at the White House by President Roosevelt, later other countries joined it. This agreement is still in force. Many people, groups and associations around the world continue to promote the Pact, the Banner and their founding principles.

Roerich was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the field of preserving the cultural heritage of mankind.

Following the sophistication and beauty of the world was sacred to Roerich. He believed that although earthly temples and artifacts may perish, the thought embodied in them does not die, but is part of the eternal stream of consciousness - the aspirations of people fed by their directed will and energy of thought. Finally, he believed that peace on Earth is the main prerequisite for the survival of mankind and the continuous process of spiritual evolution.

Nicholas Roerich died in Kullu on December 13, 1947, and his ashes were buried under the mountains that he so loved and depicted in most of his almost seven thousand works.

The future student of Mahatma Morya was born in St. Petersburg, at a time when creative activity was in full swing in the Russian Empire and many of the poets, artists and writers had already begun to ask questions of spiritual search, expanding the boundaries of their creativity and weaving elements of religious, mystical and other sacraments into plots . The atmosphere of the end of the 19th century, saturated with a mixture of inspiration and anxious forebodings, formed in the future artist an indomitable craving for constant development, and communication in the circles of the creative intelligentsia gave rise to an interest in history, archeology and painting.

Nicholas Roerich received an excellent education and, while still a young man, began to undertake independent archaeological expeditions. This hobby of his brought good results: starting from 1905, Roerich began to collect a collection of antiquities, which by 1910 already included more than 30 thousand exhibits from different countries of Europe and the vast expanses of Russia. At that time, Roerich drew attention to the terrible state of the historical heritage of the Russian people and began to promote in every possible way the idea of ​​the need to protect cultural heritage, which in the future acquired global proportions and was legally embodied in 1935 in the form of the Roerich Pact.

Already in his youth, Nikolai Konstantinovich, along with archeology, actively developed as an artist. The main subjects of his paintings, at that time, were historical scenes and Russian national images. But he never limited the flight of his creative thought, and, for example, the creation of the “diplomatic” painting “Messenger” led him to a meeting with L. N. Tolstoy, who uttered the fateful lines in a conversation: “Has it happened in a boat to cross a fast river? You must always rule above the place where you need it, otherwise it will blow you away. So in the field of moral requirements, one must always steer higher - life will blow everything away. Let your messenger hold the steering wheel very high, then he will swim! And the painting itself was acquired by P. M. Tretyakov, whose name should tell you a lot.

In Roerich's life, more than one meeting can claim to be a fateful one, because in his life he met with very different, but without any doubt outstanding people: Fr. John of Kronstadt, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Indira Gandhi, Maxim Gorky and many others. But if you try to describe the whole life path of Nikolai Konstantinovich, then the article runs the risk of turning into a book, of which there are already enough. So let's get back to his painting.

In the early period of creativity, such paintings were painted as: “The Elders Converge” (1898), “Lament of Yaroslavna” (1893), “The Beginning of Russia. Slavs” (1896), “Idols” (1901), “Building boats” and others. His first paintings already clearly demonstrated the originality of the style of Nicholas Roerich. His approach to building a composition can be called all-encompassing, the lines in the paintings are clear and concise, the colors are pure, and it is completely difficult to convey a certain metaphysical melody, simplicity of expression and truthfulness of his paintings with the help of words.

Roerich worked in the field of easel, monumental (frescoes, mosaics) and theatrical and decorative painting. He creates sketches for murals and mosaics for various churches, scenery for the most popular theatrical performances. In painting, Roerich gradually moves from the plots of pagan Russia and the Russian folk epic to the Indian ones, being seriously carried away by the works of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore and other prominent Indian thinkers. Impressed by their work, he creates the corresponding paintings and essays: "Lakshmi", "The Indian Way", "Krishna", "Dreams of India", etc. In the culture of ancient Russia and India, Roerich generally found a lot in common.

Beginning in 1906, a new, more mature period began in the work of Nikolai Konstantinovich. His approach to the historical theme changes significantly: history, mythology and folklore turn into sources from which the artist draws material for a metaphorical pictorial language. Realism and symbolism are harmoniously intertwined in his work. At the same time, an intense search for a master in the field of color begins. Roerich actually stopped painting in oils and turned to the ancient tempera technique.

And all this time he is very productive. In the period from 1907 to 1918, nine monographs and several dozen art magazines dedicated to Roerich's work were published in Russia and Europe. The scale of what he was doing prompted him to call his canvases "The Sovereign Roerich".

Anticipating the coming changes, “the greatest intuitionist of the century”, according to the definition of A. M. Gorky, Nikolai Konstantinovich tried to convey his anxiety through artistic images in the paintings: human”, etc. The confrontation between two principles - light and darkness, as well as the responsibility of a person for his own destiny and the whole world - are the main motives of these canvases.

In 1920, N. Roerich, at the invitation of the director of the Art Institute of Chicago, organized a large exhibition tour of 30 US cities, showing 115 paintings. The exhibitions were a huge success. In America, Roerich painted a series of paintings "Sankta" (Saints), "New Mexico", "Ocean Suite", "Dreams of Wisdom", etc.

In the winter of 1923, Roerich, together with his family, equips a research expedition to India. The route of their journey passed through Sikkim, Kashmir, Ladakh, China (Xinjiang), Russia (with a stop in Moscow), Siberia, Altai, Mongolia and Tibet. They planned to pass through the unexplored regions of the Trans-Himalayas. This journey lasted from 1924 to 1928.

During this time, archaeological and ethnographic research was carried out in unexplored parts of Asia, rare manuscripts were found, linguistic materials, folklore were collected, descriptions of local customs were made, books were written (“Heart of Asia”, “Altai - Himalayas”), about five hundred paintings were created. , on which N. Roerich conveyed a picturesque panorama of the expedition route, the beginning of the series of paintings "The Himalayas" was laid, the series "Maitreya", "The Sikkim Way", "His Country", "Teachers of the East" and others were created.

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At that time, Nicholas Roerich began to be active in politics, supporting the ideas of communism. The master saw parallels with Buddhism in communism and actively promoted this ideology in Central Asia. In addition, Roerich developed several major cultural projects in the United States. In parallel with this, he, together with his wife, Helena Roerich, writes a fundamental work called “Agni Yoga”, which develops the ideas of “Living Ethics”. During that period of his life, painting receded into the background, being supplanted by other areas of activity of Nikolai Konstantinovich.

Roerich met the Second World War in India. During the war years, the Master again actively engaged in painting, referring to the theme of the Motherland. He paints a number of paintings - "Igor's Campaign", "Alexander Nevsky", "Partisans", "Victory", "Bogatyrs woke up" and others, in which he uses images of Russian history and predicts the victory of the Russian people over fascism.

At the same time, Roerich continues to work on a series of paintings "The Himalayas", which already has more than two thousand canvases. The mountains were a source of inexhaustible inspiration for Roerich. In India, the series "Shambhala", "Genghis Khan", "Kuluta", "Kulu", "Holy Mountains", "Tibet", "Ashrams" and others were written.

Nicholas Konstantinovich left this world on December 13, 1947. His body was committed to a funeral pyre in the Kullu valley. Later, a large rectangular stone was erected at that place, on which the inscription was carved: “On December 15, 1947, the body of Maharishi Nicholas Roerich, the great Russian friend of India, was set on fire here. Let there be peace."

X artist, stage designer, philosopher, writer, traveler, archaeologist, public figure - the list of Nicholas Roerich's roles is endless. He drew up the first international agreement on the protection of cultural property and created the philosophical doctrine "Living Ethics", revived ancient Russian crafts and designed theatrical performances at Sergei Diaghilev's Russian Seasons. Paintings by Nicholas Roerich are kept in the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Museum of Oriental Art and private collections around the world.

Nicholas Roerich - "Trip through the old days"

Nicholas Roerich was born in 1874 in Saint Petersburg. His father was a famous notary and public figure, his mother came from a merchant family. The boy received an excellent education: at the age of eight he entered one of the best private schools in St. Petersburg - the Karl von May gymnasium.

The family spent summer and winter vacations in the country estate of Izvara in the St. Petersburg region. Here, young Roerich collected herbarium and minerals, studied local animals and birds. Even as a child, he began to study archeology: he conducted excavations, compiled relief maps, and described the finds in detail. In Izvara, Nicholas Roerich met the famous archaeologist Lev Ivanovsky and helped him in archaeological research of local mounds.

The boy was interested in the history and epic of the Izvara land, enthusiastically wrote down epics, legends and folk tales that he heard from local residents. Later, the plots of these works formed the basis of his paintings. For the first time, the boy's artistic abilities were noticed by a family friend, sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin. He became the first teacher of the future artist.

The father did not support his son's hobbies and wanted him to continue the family business. Nicholas Roerich could not disobey his parents, so after a private gymnasium he entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. At the same time, the young man passed the exams at the Imperial Academy of Arts. His first major success was the diploma painting "Messenger": for it, Roerich received the title of artist. In 1897 he graduated from the Academy of Arts, and a year later - from the university.

The entire biography of Nicholas Roerich is connected with Russian history and culture. The interest of the young researcher only increased every year. While still a student, he became a member of the Russian Archaeological Society and conducted excavations in many Russian provinces, studied folklore. In 1903 the artist went on a long journey through Russia. He visited more than 40 cities known for their ancient monuments.

Nicholas Roerich. Earth curse. 1907. State Russian Museum

Nicholas Roerich. Build boats. 1903. State Museum of the East

Nicholas Roerich. Watch. 1905. State Russian Museum

On the journey, a whole series of paintings was born - "The Beginning of Russia, the Slavs." On them, the artist reflected his mystical idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ancestors. Roerich studied the roots of Russian culture, photographed antiquities, wrote articles about the value of ancient Russian art.

“It's time for a Russian educated person to get to know and love Russia. It is time for secular people, bored without new impressions, to become interested in the high and significant, to which they have not yet been able to give their due place, which will replace gray everyday life with a cheerful, beautiful life.

Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich completed his journey through the ancient Russian cities in Talashkino - in the estate of patron Maria Tenisheva. Here, together with the artists Mikhail Vrubel, Alexander Benois and Konstantin Korovin, Roerich restored the techniques of ancient Russian crafts and the traditions of folk crafts. In art workshops, he created sketches for mosaics and paintings in ancient techniques. One of the most famous works is the decor in the temple of the Holy Spirit in Talashkino.

Artist, archaeologist, editor and scientist

The talent of Nicholas Roerich manifested itself in different areas. He worked as an editor in the magazine "Old Years", in large publications "History of Russian Art" under the general editorship of Igor Grabar and "Russian Icon". As an archaeologist, he participated in the excavations of burial mounds on the territory of the Novgorod and Tver provinces. As an artist, he created mosaics and murals for churches, railway stations and houses. As a decorator, he designed opera, ballet and drama productions, as a master of book and magazine graphics - various publications.

Along with the ancient Russian theme, oriental motifs began to appear in the work of Nicholas Roerich. He studied the philosophy of the East, collected Japanese art, wrote several essays on Japan and India, created paintings on Indian motifs - Devassari Abuntu, Devassari Abuntu with Birds, Border of the Kingdom, Wisdom of Manu.

Nicholas Roerich. Devassari Abuntu. 1905

Nicholas Roerich. Devassari Abuntu with birds. 1905

Nicholas Roerich. Kingdom border. 1916

In his art, the artist combined realism and symbolism, paying great attention to color. He almost abandoned oil and switched to tempera technique: he experimented a lot with the composition of paints, used the method of superimposing one tone on another. The originality of his work was noted by many critics: from 1907 to 1918, nine monographs and several dozen art magazines dedicated to Roerich's work were published in Russia and Europe.

In 1916, due to a serious illness, Nicholas Roerich, at the insistence of doctors, moved to Finland with his family. After the 1917 revolution, Finland closed the border with Russia, and the Roerichs were cut off from the young USSR. Several of his exhibitions were successfully held abroad.

In 1919 the Roerich family moved to London. Here they became members of the occult Theosophical Society. Nicholas Roerich and his wife Elena founded a new philosophical doctrine "Living Ethics" - about inner transformation, disclosure of abilities and mastery of cosmic energy.

A year later, at the invitation of the director of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nicholas Roerich and his family moved to the United States. In America, he organized a large-scale three-year exhibition tour of 30 US cities, created sketches for costumes and scenery for the Chicago Opera, lectured on Russian art, ethical and aesthetic education. During these years, the artist painted a series of paintings "New Mexico", "Ocean Suite", "Dreams of Wisdom" and a series of paintings "Sankta" ("Saints") about the life of Russian saints and ascetics.

"Master of mountains" Nicholas Roerich

In 1923, Roerich left America and went to Paris, and then to India, where he organized a large-scale Central Asian expedition. At this time, he carried out archaeological and ethnographic research in different parts of Asia, studied rare manuscripts, collected linguistic materials and folklore, described local customs, wrote the books "Heart of Asia", "Altai - Himalayas". During these years, the artist created about 500 paintings. They reflected the picturesque panorama of the expedition route.

The extensive scientific materials that the Roerichs collected during the expedition required systematization and processing. After the trip, the couple founded the Institute of Himalayan Research in New York, and then the Urusvati Institute (translated from Sanskrit as “The Light of the Morning Star”) in the Himalayas, in the Kullu Valley.

In 1928, Nicholas Roerich prepared a draft Treaty for the Protection of Cultural Property - the Roerich Pact. The pact was the first international act dedicated to the protection of cultural property, and the only agreement in this area that was adopted by the international community before the Second World War. Roerich was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for it, but he never received it.

From the end of 1935, Roerich lived permanently in India. This period is one of the most fruitful in his work. For 12 years he painted over a thousand paintings. At this time, two new books by Nicholas Roerich and several volumes of literary essays were published. In India, the series "Shambhala", "Genghis Khan", "Kuluta", "Kulu", "Holy Mountains", "Tibet", "Ashrams" were written, for which art critics called Roerich the "master of mountains".

Nicholas Roerich. Shambhala Dyke (Message of Shambhala). 1931

Nicholas Roerich. Chintamani. 1935-1936

Nicholas Roerich. Song about Shambhala. Tangla. 1943

During the Second World War, he again turned to the theme of the motherland in his work and created a number of paintings using images of Russian history - “Igor's Campaign”, “Alexander Nevsky”, “Partisans”, “Victory”, “Bogatyrs woke up”.

Nicholas Roerich died in 1947 in India, in the Kulu valley of the Himalayan mountains.

06/9/2019 at 12:22 pm VeraSchegoleva · 2 390

10 most famous paintings by Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich - famous. Born October 9, 1874. He died at the age of 73 on December 13, 1947.

During his creative life, he painted more than seven thousand paintings, which were included in the world collection of fine arts.

Family friends, a gymnastics course, university education and the Academy of Arts, as components of success, like bricks at the base of the foundation, were formed to develop this spiritually powerful person. In our article, we will talk about 10 the most famous paintings of Roerich with original titles and photographs of works.

10. Himalayas

Pink mountains. The picture was painted in 1933. It is currently kept in the collection of the New York Nicholas Roerich Museum. In total, the artist painted up to two thousand paintings dedicated to the Himalayas.

The artist's image of mountains comes from India, where mountains are an integral part of the landscape of this original country.

But for a mature artist, the Himalayas are not a mountain system of the world, not powerful sliding glaciers, not massive snowy hills.

Mountains are a living organism with its own special mood.. The variability of which the viewer feels due to the fluctuation of shades. Where the tenderness of pink, love, affection is in harmony with the contrasts of white and blue and blue-black.

From experiencing a sense of peace, security, relaxation to despair. Mountains, like a frozen eternity.

But if there is a desire to find out what is behind them, then you need to go through them. Perhaps the fabulous country of Shambhala is really hiding behind them, where there is no place for worries and sorrows.

9. Alexander Nevsky

This picture was painted in 1942 and entered into the heroic cycle of the artist, along with such works as "Yaroslav", "Boris and Gleb", "Victory" and others.

The historical event that inspired Roerich to create this canvas was the date - the 700th anniversary of the victory of the troops of Kievan Rus over the Livonian Order. The Great Battle on Lake Peipus or the Battle on the Ice.

12 thousand Russian soldiers and 17 thousand opponents perished on the battlefield, in which the foot army defeated the heavy cavalry.

In the foreground of the picture, the viewer sees the commander. His horse is walking carefully. Among the blood-stained ice lie the lifeless bodies of people and horses.

The leader is followed by his retinue, his close friends. Mournful faces, hunched backs from the severity of the experience and grief.

They recaptured Kievan Rus from the invaders. The sky is blazing. The bloody snow is melting, taking into history the feat of arms of thousands and thousands of selfless people.

8. Mother of the World

The picture was painted in 1924. Stored in the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York.

The canvas is made in blue, blue, purple, gold shades. It is impossible to take your eyes off him.

The picture "tightens" makes you think about what is in front of your eyes. An amazing phenomenon is that the longer you look at it, the more the space in it expands. There is a feeling of infinity.

In the foreground, a woman sits on a throne in front of the viewer. Royal person. This is an image of a powerful, life-giving force, cosmic in scope and capabilities - Feminine Energy.

Those who develop it in themselves become more receptive to the beautiful, to love, to the comprehension of eternal truths and values.

Those who destroy it actually deprive themselves of the source of universal nourishment, universal reason, intuition.

It is noteworthy that the woman's face is half closed. Here you can mentally draw the facial features hidden by the veil.

Art historians say that the hidden part is something that has yet to be passed, experienced. Understand. The open part of the face symbolizes the heights already achieved, which one must have the courage to follow.

7. Idols

Behind a wooden palisade, hung with animal skulls, taller than a man, overlaid with boulders, idols stand and rise.

In those distant times, it was not, and the giants are perceived as creatures of an unknown metropolis.

The picture is true displays the influence of pagan gods on people's lives. To them, to the idols, people came to temples, where they made their prayers for the day to come and tomorrow, sacrificed animals.

As a traveler, Nicholas Roerich visited the excavation site personally. The picture was created in 1901.

6. Order of the teacher

Testament of the Teacher. The canvas was painted in 1947. In front of the viewer, high in the Himalayas, the guru sits. He is focused.

There is a white eagle in the sky nearby, which reads information from the mouth of a person. Solemn reverence and admiration comes from the bird. How else. Being an intermediary between Heaven and Earth, the bird accumulates the creative thoughts of the guru and, like a powerful charge of energy, will transfer from mountain peaks to people.

White plumage of an eagle symbolizes the purity of the teacher's thoughts. Who is this guru? Maybe the artist himself, who, in the year of death, creates such a masterpiece.

5. Overseas guests

The picture was painted in 1901. In front of the viewer, two Russian boats are moving along the dark blue calm water. Merchants float on them. The shores are deserted. Only in the distance can be seen a small village.

The artist carefully writes out both the clothes of people and the decoration of ships. On deck are peacekeepers. They move to the places of settlement of the Slavs.

In 1899, Nicholas Roerich undertook a journey to Novgorod by water. The paintings that worried him along the way inspired the artist to create this canvas. Emperor Nicholas II highly appreciated the painting and bought it from the artist.

4. Saint Sergius of Radonezh

The picture was painted in 1932. Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery. According to the memoirs of Nicholas Roerich's entourage, the life of Sergius of Radonezh has always interested the artist and aroused the desire to reflect this image on canvas.

After the death of the ascetic, no records remained, only the memories of contemporaries. Only his prayer feat during the battle with Mamai (Battle of Kulikovo) makes us bow before this man, who raised the faith of the soldiers to fight half a century of slavery.

Sergius is depicted in the foreground of the painting. Magnificently handsome and kind. In his hands is a symbol of the human soul - the temple of God. It is warm and cozy for her to be in the hands of the Reverend.

Painter bows to this person and loves him. “Reverend Father Sergius, pray to God for us” - this is how the words of the prayer sound, and they will be heard.

3. Saints Gleb and Boris

The picture was painted in 1942. Currently stored in the State Russian Museum.

The painting depicts Russian saints, who are moving to the Russian shores on a boat to inform the soldiers of Kievan Rus about the victory they will win over the Swedes.

Warriors of Light and Spirit are solemn. Around them is a soft glow of golden yellow, green colors. So imperceptible that the viewer sees a continuous mountain range behind them.

Russian princes killed in the struggle for the throne, in the guise of saints, constitute the Spiritual Brotherhood, which helps the Russians on all battlefields where they defend their Fatherland.

2. Yaroslav the Wise

Yaroslav the Wise - Grand Duke of Kyiv. Being the son of Grand Duke Vladimir, the baptizer of Russia, he not only preserved his father's work, but also multiplied it with his successes.

To educate your people, he achieved not only that his people learned to read, but also began to write books. The codes of his working laws not only brought order to the state, but also increased the authority of Russia in Europe.

Prince Vladimir is depicted on the canvas. He works. Outside the windows are the domes of the temple as a symbol of God present in all the deeds of this great man. Yaroslav has a bright, stellar fate, and he looks significant on the canvas.

His image is made using red, purple, pink flowers. As a symbol of holiness, religious passion, religious self-denial, moderation.

The person depicted on the canvas is strict and academic, restrained. He has no time to scatter his talents, as there is still a lot to do ahead.

1. Tangla

Song about Shambhala. In China, in the Tibetan Plateau, there are mountain ranges united by the common name Tangla. An indescribable beauty has been preserved here, which combines domed peaks, flat slopes, and the widest flat-bottomed pits. The artist captured this divine phenomenon in ten canvases.

Against the backdrop of chains of snow-capped peaks, the colors of the sky are fancifully reflected in combination with its cosmic vastness.

According to legends, it is in these parts that the country of Shambhala is located, in which the worlds converge: earthly and heavenly. material and spiritual. And the people living in this country, "mahatmas", are carriers of incredible knowledge.

The picture was painted in 1943. Located in the State East. If you move a little further from it, you will get the impression that the landscape spreads out, as it were, outside the window of your own house.

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