Roerich, Nicholas K(onstantin) (1874-1947)

Versatile Russian-born painter, poet, writer, and mystic, and founder of the Agni Yoga Society. He was born in St. Petersburg on September 27, 1874, and educated at the University of St. Petersburg, becoming a graduate of the law school. He studied drawing and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and in Paris, France. In 1901, he married Helena Ivanov Shaposhnikov; they had two children. Both Nicholas and Helena Roerich were initially influenced by the theosophical writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the co-founder of Theosophy, and later by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Anthroposophy, and Alice A. Bailey.

Between 1901 and 1904, Roerich made a pilgrimage through Russia during which he produced some 75 paintings, exhibited at La Purchase Exposition, St. Louis. From 1906 to 1910, he was director of the School for Encouragement of Fine Arts, Russia, president of the Museum of Russian Arts, first president of Mir Iskusstva, and a leader in Moscow Art Theatre Diagilev Ballet.

The Roerichs escaped Russia at the time of the revolution and in 1920 migrated to the United States under the auspices of the Art Institute of Chicago. Roerich established a number of institutions with the aim of bringing humanity together through education, art, and culture. He traveled extensively and spent much time in Eastern countries, which strongly influenced his philosophy.

He exhibited his paintings in New York in December 1920. In 1921, he showed his work at the Institute of United Arts in New York. He took an active part in the foundation of Cor Ardeus (Flaming Heart) by a group of artists in Chicago, and in September 1922, he associated himself with an international cultural center named Corona Mundi (Crown of the World), promoting cooperation among scientists and cultural workers in different countries.

In 1923, the Roerich Museum was inaugurated in New York, an occasion marked by President Calvin Coolidge with a greeting to the founders. Roerich was also concerned with the American-Russian Cultural Association. Although the Roerichs had left Russia after the revolution, they devoted much time to attempting to bring about friendly cultural relations between the newly-established Soviet Union and the United States. Their efforts were appreciated by the Soviet authorities. Georgi Chickerin, a People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, once described Roerich as "a half-Communist and a half-Buddhist."

Roerich spent five years in Central Asia as head of an expedition, making 500 paintings. He took a great interest in United States agriculture at a time when soil erosion threatened the holdings of American farmers during the thirties. Roerich had established an institute at Uruswathi, in Kulu, India, and sent specimens of drought-resistant plants collected in Central Asia to botanical research agencies in the United States. At the suggestion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture he headed an expedition to collect seeds of plants that prevented the destruction of fertile layers of soil. He also headed a further expedition to Japan in May 1934 and later continued these studies in Manchuria.

Roerich was internationally accepted at a time when his mysticism and artistic talents ranked equally with his efforts to improve agriculture and to bring about world peace. He was honored by many counties, and awards included: Commander, lst class, Royal Swedish Order of North Star; Grand Cross, Legion of Honor (France); Order of Saint Sava, lst class (Yugoslavia); Commander of Order of Imperial Russians of St. Stanislas, St. Anne and St. Vladimir; medal of city of Bruges, Belgium (for plan of Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace). His Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace was signed by twenty-two Pan-American countries at the White House, Washington, D.C., in 1935.

Among his many artistic activities, he was responsible for a number of works for the Chicago Opera Company, for the Russian Ballet (scenery in Prince Igor ), and for Konstantin Stanislavsky (setting of Peer Gynt ). He wrote libretto, and designed scenery and costumes for Sacre du Printempts, for which Stravinsky composed music. Ten Roerich Halls were established, in Paris, Belgrade, Riga, Benares, Bruges, Allahabad, Zagreb, Buenos Aires, Kyoto, and Praha. Roerich authored books on all of the artistic and social activities which he sponsored.

In all these activities, he was assisted by his wife Helena, who had in the meantime become a channel for Master Morya, one of the masters first brought forth by Blavatsky. Her channelled materials became the basis of what became known as Agni Yoga, a variation on theosophical teachings very much like those of Alice Bailey.

Roerich died December 12, 1947. The books of the Roerichs are kept in print by the Agni Yoga Society and the Roerich Museum, 319 W. 107 St., New York, NY 10025.

Sources:

Conlan, Barnett D. Nicholas Roerich: A Master of the Mountains. Liberty, Ind.: Flamma, Association for Advancement of Culture, 1938.

Fosdick, Sara. Nicholas Roerich. New York: Nicholas Roerich Museum, 1964.

Melton, J. Gordon. Religious Leaders of America. 2nd edition. Detroit: Gale Research, 1999.

Nicholas Roerich, 1874-1947. New York: Nicholas Roerich Museum, 1974.

Pealian, Gerhard. Nicholas Roerich. Agoura, Calif.: Aquarian Education Group, 1974.

Roerich, Nicholas. Adamant. New York: Corona Mundi, 1922.

——. Flame in Chalice. New York: Nicholas Roerich Museum, 1929.

——. Heart of Asia. New York: Atlas Publishing, 1929.

——. Realm of Light. New York: Nicholas Roerich Museum, 1931.

Roerich, Nikolai (1874–1947). Russian painter, designer, archaeologist, anthropologist, and mystical philosopher, born in St Petersburg, where he first studied law before training at the Academy, 1893–7. He was a prolific painter of landscapes and of imaginary historical scenes that evoke a colourful pagan image of Russia's past. They reveal the same feeling for exotic splendour and bold, sumptuous colour that he displayed in his set and costume designs for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, notably for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (1913), for which Roerich created the scenario with the composer. A man of immense energy, Roerich combined his career as an artist with one as an archaeologist and anthropologist. In 1925–8 he made a 16,000mile expedition in Central Asia accompanied by his wife and his elder son, who spoke Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, and several Indian languages; his ‘investigation of the cultures of the region [is] still the bedrock of anthropological studies of Central Asia’ (The Times Atlas of World Exploration, 1991). From 1928 until his death he directed a Himalayan research station at Kulu in India, and many of his later paintings feature mountain landscapes.

Roerich had a deep interest in esoteric religions and the mysteries of nature, and he developed a philosophy in which art should unite humanity. In 1933 he designed a flag for the protection of cultural property in the event of war and drew up a peace pact that was signed by President F. D. Roosevelt and representatives of several other countries. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in this field. There are Roerich museums in Moscow and New York (he lived in the USA, 1920–3), but the best collection of his work is in the Russian Museum, St Petersburg. His younger son, Svetoslav (1904–1993), was also a painter, active mainly in India; he married the great-niece of Rabindranath Tagore.

Roerich, Nikolai (b St Petersburg, 27 Sept. [9 Oct.] 1874; d Nagar, nr. Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, India, 13 Dec. 1947). Russian painter, designer, archaeologist, anthropologist, and mystical philosopher. He was a prolific painter of landscapes and of imaginary historical scenes that evoke a colourful pagan image of Russia's past. They reveal the same feeling for exotic splendour and bold, sumptuous colour that he displayed in his set and costume designs for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, notably for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (1913), for which Roerich created the scenario with the composer. A man of immense energy, Roerich combined his career as an artist with one as an archaeologist and anthropologist. In 1925–8 he led a 16,000-mile (26,000-km) expedition in central Asia, and his investigations still form ‘the bedrock of anthropological studies’ in the region (The Times Atlas of World Exploration, 1991). From 1928 until his death he directed a Himalayan research station in the Kulu valley in India, and many of his later paintings feature mountain landscapes. He had a deep interest in esoteric religions and the mysteries of nature, and he developed a philosophy in which art should unite humanity. There are Roerich museums in Moscow and New York (he lived in the USA, 1920–3), but the best collection of his work is in the Russian Museum, St Petersburg.

Roerich, Nikolai (1874–1947). Russian painter, designer, archaeologist, anthropologist, and mystical philosopher. He was a prolific painter of landscapes and of imaginary historical scenes that evoke a colourful pagan image of Russia's past. They reveal the same feeling for exotic splendour and bold, sumptuous colour that he displayed in his set and costume designs for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, notably for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (1913), for which Roerich created the scenario with the composer. A man of immense energy, Roerich combined his career as an artist with one as an archaeologist and anthropologist. In 1925–8 he led a 26,000-km (16,000-mile) expedition in Central Asia, and his investigations still form ‘the bedrock of anthropological studies’ in the region (The Times Atlas of World Exploration, 1991). From 1928 until his death he directed a Himalayan research station in the Kulu Valley in India, and many of his later paintings feature mountain landscapes. He had a deep interest in esoteric religions and the mysteries of nature, and he developed a philosophy in which art should unite humanity. There are Roerich museums in Moscow and New York (he lived in the USA, 1920–3), but the best collection of his work is in the Russian Museum, St Petersburg.

Nicholas Konstantin Roerich , 1874–1947, Russian artist, scene designer, and archaeologist. He was connected with the Moscow Art Theatre and the Diaghilev ballet. His stage sets for Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps (1913) revealed him as a brilliant colorist. He traveled to the United States where the Roerich Museum, New York City, was founded (1923) in his honor. His exploration of the Himalayas resulted in 500 pictures. He is represented in the chief European collections and many American galleries. Among his books are Heart of Asia (1929) and Realm of Light (1931).