Roerich Universe
Few people in history can project such admiration as the renaissance men. Born in 1874 in Saint Petersburg, Nicholai Roerich was a multidisciplinary artist, scientist, philosopher and mystic; the leading scholar of his time. Since his youth, people had noted his uncommon habits. He loved to collect objects, read adventure books. He even created his own botanical garden to draw and study plants. He took part in archaeological expeditions with famous scientists. His interests and creativity were extraordinary yet he eventually entered law school at the bequest of his father, a notary who was skeptical of art and science’s profitability. Nicholai, however, persuaded his father to let him study both law and the arts, which he completed with remarkable dedication and passion in two great universities.
Roerich catalogued and studied all the important art works of Russia and became the president of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. He was not just a studious academic of art (and architecture), he was also a very talented and prolific painter. But it doesn’t stop there. Roerich was a stage designer, a ceramist and a writer. He even managed to maintain a life-long practice of archaeology. But the story of his life would be incomplete without his true soul mate, Helena, an accomplished writer, philosopher, and the eternal inspiration for his work. Nicholai and Helena got married in 1901. They grew, hand in hand, in all aspects of life. Together, they developed an interest in the complexity of the ethics, thought and belief systems of Indian tradition. Together, they studied the great teachings of the Theosophists.
After the victory of the Revolution, the Roerichs (now with two sons) became political activists in defense of art and heritage, without getting involved with in any party. He even rejected a position offered by the Soviet ministry. However, illness forced Nicholas and his family to step down from their activism and migrate to Finland. Later, in 1919, they moved to England, where they became close friends with prominent figures of the intellectual and spiritual spheres of the time, along with the most important political leaders in India. It was then that they initiated their own school of thought that intended to encompass their understanding of the cosmic universe. They called it: Agni Yoga.
After settling in the United States for a couple of years, the Roeriks embarked themselves in two revealing expeditions in search of the genuine wisdom of the eastern world. They traveled through Mongolia, China and the Tibet, India and later Manchuria. According to some, it was during this journey that they claimed to have contacted the Shambhala spiritual world (this might sound familiar to you). Roerich died in December 1947 in Naggar, India, leaving a profoundly valuable legacy with countless institutions rendering tribute to his name. His art pieces can be found in many museums in modern Russia and around the world. He was also nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his lasting teachings on unity and mutual understanding for mankind. There’s even a planet named after him, an apt metaphor of his unaccountable wisdom that might as well have come from outer space.
Don’t forget to visit our sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Roerich
http://www.roerichs.com/Lng/en/Index.htm
And watch this short documentary:
“Red Snow, Gold Clouds” thriller by Marianna Baker and Anna Baker