** Russian artists Nicholas Roerich Nikolai Rerikh
Russian Artists: Nikolai Rerikh / Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Figure 1.--Here is one of Nicholas Roerich's important projects in Tsarist Russia (1912). It was St. Spirit church in Talashkin (Smolensk region). Roerich worked at it in 1911, 1912 and 1914. The photograph was taken in 1914 after they had finished. It was a family endevor. Nicholas Roerich, Svetoslav Roerich (beside him), George Roerich (seated in front). I expect the photographer was his wife! It is not clear if he was restoring the original painting or creating his own original work. Roerih describes the work, " The heaven way lays high. Dangerous river of life flows. On the stony costs perish inexperienced travelers who can not define where good is or where evil. Merciful Mistress of Heaven takes care of the incompetent travelers. The Mistress helps them during their trip. She wants to cover the human grief with a clear cover." The church and the magnificent art no longer exists. Stalin ordered the destruction of countless churches and this apparently was one of them.
Nicholas Roerich became one of Imperial Russia’s most famous artists. In fact he had wide ranging interests. He has been described as a Russian archeologist, painter, philosopher, and theosophist. Much of his art work was about Russian History. He was born in Saint Petersburg to the family of prosperous notary public. Nicholas lived around the world, spending many years in India until his death in the Punjab. His father had him study law, but allowed him to also study art. His interests were very wide ranging, but were strongly oriented toward art. He left Russia with his family after the Revolution, but undewent a series pf anti- and pro-Soviet conversions. Given his conflicting orientation it is good he did not return to Russia during the stalinist era.
Family
We do not know a great deal about the Roerich family back ground. A reader tells us that the name was originally German. "The name is German. If it has Dutch origines it certainly has been Germanized. The Russians would spell it Pepux in their Cyrellic alphabet and Rerikh in Latin letters. They would pronounce it something like Rayrick. Roerich is German, it could be spelled even with an umlaut: Rörich, but the Russians would spell it Rerikh when they use the Latin alphabet. In Cyrillic it comes out as Pepux. The p is an r in Russian. The x is 2 c's together of which the first 1 is reversed. The pronunciation is close to the German Roerich. Compare it with the name of that Republican politician, Boehner. He pronouces it as Bay-ner. Of course, people are free to write and pronouce their names how they desire. with some amazing results: I never can get used to say Roth child. I always say Road shield. However, I believe that the Rothschilds themselves said Roth child, after they had left Germany." Nicholas seems to have preferred the German spelling. We are not sure why, but the Russian image of the Germans was very different before World War I and especially World War II.
Parents
Nicholas' father, Konstantin Roerich, was a prosperous notary public. His mother was Maria Vasilyevna,. The family maintained an active social life. Their parents were interested in the arts. Writers, artists, and scientists often were hosted by the family.
Nicholas was born in Saint Petersburg (1874). Nicholas was the first son. We have very little information about his childhood except that he grew up in a prosperous, upper-middle-class St. Petersburg family. He from an early age was reprtedly a curious child with an active mind. And the young Nicholas was stimulated by the writers and artists thathis parents invited to their hime. One especially important experience was with an important archeologist. When he was nine, a noted archeologist. He took Nicholas at the age of 9 years old on one of his excavations of the local tumuli (burial mounds). The wonderful adventure sparked a life-long interest in archeology. He also became a collector. He began collections of prehistoric artifacts, coins, and minerals and he did it in an usually systemitized fashion for a boy. He even built an arboretum to study plants. Another special interest that developed early was drawing and he proved very good at it.
Education
Nicolas entered the May Gymnasium (1883). By the time he reached the upper school, he exhibited a marked interest in history. This no doubt had been fueled by his childhood experiences with archeology. He continued excavate and now research local burial hills. Nicholas' first academic experience with drawing came in the 6th form. The protector was a respectef sculptor--Michael Osipovich Mikeshin. Mikeshin is imoressed with the boy and convinces Nicholas' father that his son had real talent that should be developed. This began a long relationship between Nicholas and his mentor. Nicholas was so interested in drawing that at age 16 he decided he wanted to enter Academy of Art and become an artist. His father was more practical. While and his wife were interested in the arts. They did not consider art a real way to make a living and support a family. He was determined that his son have a "real" responsible career. He was determined that Nicholas follow his calling and become a lawyer. Father and soon eventually reached a compromise sollution. His father had him study law, but allowed him to also study art. He was a gifted student and entered both St. Petersburg University and the Imperial Academy of Arts (1893). At the Academy, Nicholas takes classes from Kuindgy, an important Russian artist. Nicholas is influenced both by Kuindgy's art, but also by his philosophical and moral outlook. Nicholas He received the title of "artist" (1897) and a law degree (1898).
Art
Nicholas Roerich became one of Imperial Russia’s most famous artists. He painted a number of subjects. In the beginning he painted about the history of Russia. His most famous painting showing a Viking long boat bring the Rus to the Slavs is featured in many history books about Russia. Another theme he followed was a mystical one. He enjoyed painting and restoring religious icons connected with the Russian Orthodox Church. He took on commissions to restore sacred and historical treasures. When he went on these assignments he took his wife and children with him. Here you can see him working on a major project in 1912 (figure 1). While still in Russia he did a lot of work on balet/theatrical sets. He worked with Diaghilev on some of these. He also painted an evocative series of pictures about Buddhism and other religious belief found in central Asia. His focus is often on landscape rather than people. You can see all these various influences in his work, especially his later oaintings. Studying ancient Russian icon painting was a major influence in his art. Themes from the Bible and and medieval legends are very important. One author desribes his style as ilusionary which seems an insightful description. Roerich was not imitating the icon painters, but you can see their influence in his work.
Interests
Roerich had wide ranging interests developed from childhood. He has been described as a Russian archeologist, painter, philosopher, and theosophist.
Nicholas Roerich was the family patriarch. He married Helena Shaposhnikov. Helena was related to the Russian composer Mussorgsky. They met in 1899. There were two sons. George the eldest was born in 1902. He became as Yuri Roerich a noted Tibetologist. Svetoslav their youngest son was born in St Petersburg (1904). Nicholas and Helena Roerich founded the Agni Yoga Society.
The Roerich family left St. Persburg (1916). He contracted a serious illness. Conditions in the city were becoming difficult as aesult of World War I. Fodd was difficult to obrain. The family moved to the countryside, a pleasant home aon the norther shore of Lake Ladoga. As a result, when the Revolution came, the Roerich family was away from the disorders in St. Persburg. Roerich was a political moderate and attempted to work for the arts in the Provisional Government which first replaced the Tsarist Government. In the resulting disorder and developing Civil War, Finland declared its independence. Thus they although thouroghly Russian found themselves on the territory of the new state of Finland. From their home along the shore of Lake Ladoga, Svetoslav began systemic drawing lessons under his father's tutelage. He was of course a great master, but also a gifted teacher. Developments in Russia convinced his father that it was not safe to return ti St. Petersburg. And as Russians, they did not want to stay in Russia. One benefit of being in Filand was that it was easy to leave. That might have been very difficult if they had been in St. Petersburg. They thus left Finland for England (1919). Their original intention was to proceed on to India. Their father was invited to America to accompany a tour of his paintings.
Green Meterorite
Roerich was given a piece of a green medeorite in Paris (1923). He was memorized by it. He took ot with him on his subsequent Central Asian expeditions. He carried in a special box. The stone was photographed. He saw it as a symbol of peace and good fortune. The meteroite disintegrated as it came into the earth's atmosphere and fragmented. Roerich believed that if he could untite the fragments he would have the power to achieve world peace. He deeply believed that if all the pieces could be collected and brought together then a wanderous power within meterorite would be activated to the benefit of the world. It was to be a gift to the rulers of Shambhala. It is unclear what eventually happened to this meteorite. Thisall makes him seem like a real life Indian Jones.
Central Asian Expeditions
The Roerich expeditions to central Asia are especially interesting. He organized two expeditions (1925-1928 and 1934-1935). At this time very little was known about central Asia and Tibet in particular. There were several attempts to open up this part of the world then. Roerich was one expedition. There was also a celebrated American expedition sponsored by the National Geographic Soiciety. Nazi Germany also organized expeditions to Tibet. It was organized by the SS Ahnenerbe as part of Himmler's obsession with finding the origins of the Aryan race (1939). All the expeditions in fact had a hidden agenda. Roerich was trying to find the lost city of Shambhala. This mythical place was supposed to be hidden somewhere high up in the Himalayan Mountains. The city as suosedly inhabited by a mystic brotherhood whose philosophy of life is reputed to benefit us all. The expedition diaries show that Roerich actually searched for this hidden kingdom. Many of the Lama’s he met were amazed that he should know so much about Shambhala. He thought he had reached the hidden city but it is unlikely that he did. Reading his notes I think he gradually realised that the fabled city was not an actuality but a state of mind and a spiritual place. There is one story he writes of in which the party meet a larma in a carriage. It turns out that Lama's do not travel in this way. The Tibetan thought he had met a Larma from Shamghala! It is at this point in the narrative that an author born in Leigh, England comes into the story. James Hilton read about the Tibetan expeditions. The novel he wrote was Lost Horizon Hilton popularised the fabled city of Shambhala. In the novel it became Shangri–La. I was made into a popular Hollywoof film. The Roerich expedition got into difficulties in Tibet. The authorities arrested all the members of the expedition despite their travel documents being in order. They were captives for many months but eventually they were freed and travelled on to India. The circumstances are very mysterious.
Roerich Pact
Another aspect of Roerich’s life was to interesting world leaders to sign the Roerich Pact. This pact could be thought of as the ‘Geneva convention’ for ancient buildings. The legislation drew up rules to protect the world’s heritage in times of conflict. Although much of Roerich's activities might be classified as crack-pot, this given what occured in World War II surely must be classifified as precent. This concern began with the Russian Revolution. He left Russia before the Civil War broke out. We are unsure to what extent he was aware of the desctruction of important buildings and art during the Civil War. Nor do we know to what extent he understood the level of destruction involved with Stalin's atheusm campaign. Countless churches were demolished. President Roosevelt signed this agreement in 1935. It was also signed by most member nations of the Pan-American Union.
Political Involvement (1920s-30s)
Roerich's political activities during the inter-War era were tp say the least varied. Officials from major powers were affected and did not quite know what to make of them. The Roerich Pact earned him considerable praise. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize. The expeditions to Central Asia were a different matter. He seems to have had the concept of creating a pan-Buddhist federation encompassing Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, the Himalayas, and parts of India and China. This of course was hardly the kind of thing to endear him with the Soviets, Chinese, Japanese (who invades China), and British who still controlled India. His additude toward the Soviets was also confusing. The family found itself out of Sr. Petersburg when the Revolution broke out (1917). He obviously feared the Bolsheviks as he abd the family took off for the West. Given his conflicting orientation it is good he did not return to Russia during the stalinist era. He shifted from an anti-Soviet orientation to a pro-Soviet one (mid-1920s). Then he changed again to an anti-Soviet stance (late-1920s). He finally became a pro-Soviet patriot. Soviet resistance to the NAZIs must have influenced him. It is unclear how much he knew about Stalinist crimes.
India
Nicholas lived around the world, spending many years in India until his death in the Punjab.
