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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. Petersburg. 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 Nicholas that it was not safe to return to 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. Nicholas with his artistic reknown was invited to America to accompany a tour of his paintings.
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. This is a large freshwater lake to the east of St. Petersburg which took on consideral importance during World war II. 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.
World War I was a disaster for Russia. The country was unprepared and the result was huge casualties. Russia suffered more casualties than any other country. Dusruptions in the economy and the advance of German forces resulted in shortages including severe shortages and bread lines in the major cities. As a result, the Tsarist Government collapsed with relatively little resistance when riots broke out in St. Persburg. Army revolts forced the Tsar to abdicate. Nicholas II abdicated on March 2, 1917, in favor of his brother Michael. No fool, Michael renounced his claim the next day. The abdication of the Tsar left the Duma in control of Russia. The Duma was dominated by liberal politicans. Defense Minister Alexander Kerensky formnmed a provisional government. The Provisional Government, however, was hampered by thev Petrograd Council (Soviet) of Soldiers and Workers's Deputies. And here radical elements including the Bolshevils had considerable influence. The Provisional Government also honored commitments to the Allies. Kerensky tried to keep Russia in the War. He gave Brusilov command of another offensive against the German Southern Army in Galicia. This time Brusilov made little progress. He drove through mutinous Austrian units, but was stopped at great cost by German units commanded by Hoffman and Hutier. The Germans after stopping the Russians, launched a major offensive. This was the stroke that shattered the Russian Army. It's collapse paved the way for the Bolsheviks to seize power. The first Communist state was of course the Soviet Union. The Revolution was a reaction to the huge losses, government incompetence, and privations of World War I (1914-18), in which the Russian people, suffered greviously. The Bolsheviks emerged victorious against a democratic Provisional Government (1917). The Russian Revolution is often described as a result of social forces that had been developing for centuries. A strong case can be made for the Revolution as a coupd'état that may have never occurred without the leadership of Lenin. [Pipes] The Germans allowed Lenin who was in Switzerland to cross their territory in a sealed railway car. Hecarrived in Petrograd (April 1917). His demands for "peace, land, and bread" resonated with the Russian people, especially the Petrigrad Soviet with was not faorably disposed toward the liberal duma and Kerensky Government. Lenin and his allies demanded "all power to the Soviets". As the situation in Petrograd deteriorated, General Kornilov attempted to seize power. This backfired when his troops mutinied. The Bolsheviks then moved on the Provisional Government (November 7). They arrested members if the Provisional Government theu could find and seized power in the name of the Soviets.
Roerich was a political moderate and attempted to work for the arts in the Provisional Government which first replaced the Tsarist Government. Roerichwas primarily concerned with Russia's cultural cultural and artistic heritage. He had little interest in either ideology and party politics. He was, however, active in artistic politics. He was active with Maxim Gorky and Aleksandr Benois in the Gorky Commission and tge subsequent Arts Union (SDI). Here important artists attempted to focus the Provisional Government's and Petrograd Soviet's on the need to develop a coherent cultural policy and in particular from Roerich's point of view, the need to protect art and architecture from destruction and vandalism. Here the fact that a great deal of Russian art was religious and many churches cultural trasures, this was a hard sell in the increasingly leftward drift of Russian politics.
And Roerich was horrified at the ruthlessness of Kenin and the Bolsheviks. When he later reconciled with the Soviets, he attempted to paper over what he said and wrote at the time.
As a result, when the Revolution came, the Roerich family was away from the disorders in St. Petersburg and the Bolsheviks seizure of power. In the resulting disorder and developing Civil War, Finland declared its independence. Roerich later claimed that they were caught in what became Finland, another part of his later attempt to desguise his anti-Bolshevik attitudes. This dies not seem to have been the case. He appears to have taken Helena and the boys to Finland to escape the Bolsheviks. He later tried to explain they although thouroghly Russian found themselves on the territory of the new state of Finland. Developments in Russia, however, seem to hve convinced him that it was not safe to return to St. Petersburg. And as Russians, they did not want to stay in Russia. One benefit of being in Finland was that it was easy to leave. That might have been very difficult if they had been in St. Petersburg.
They Roerich with his family left Finland for England (1919). Their original intention was to proceed on to India. Apparetly Helena was was deeply interested in spirituality had interested her husband. Their father was invited to America to accompany a tour of his paintings.
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