Nicholas Roerich is most often referred to as an artist, set designer, philosopher, mystic, writer, poet, archaeologist, public figure, educator. Indeed, during his life, he created almost 7000 paintings, about 30 books, founded many cultural movements. But today we will try to open a new facet of Roerich's talent - the talent of the traveler.
Almost all official biographies of Nikolai Konstantinovich are devoted mainly to his cultural, social and creative activities. And then: for his rather eventful life, Nicholas Roerich was a full and honorary member of 45 (!) Famous international public organizations. And the world public movements "Peace through culture" and "Banner of Peace" were founded precisely on his initiative and with his active personal participation. Since the 1920s, he has carried out extensive educational activities to involve the world community in the protection of cultural monuments. On the basis of the so-called Roerich Pact put forward in 1954 in The Hague, the Final Act of the International Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was signed, ratified by many countries, including the very conservative USSR. Roerich's deeply patriotic speeches during the Great Patriotic War are also known.
It turned out to be difficult to “extract” from his numerous biographies the theme of his numerous travels and ethno-geographical studies. Pravda. Ru sincerely thanks the Doctor of Historical Sciences, the former professor of the Russian State Humanitarian University Viktor Methodievich Kastorov, who helped in the preparation of this material. But still, let's start with the "chronological" aspects of the biography of Nikolai Konstantinovich. Perhaps his ancestral origin, as well as the events that happened to him in his youth and youth, will explain his unknown, incomprehensible to many, craving for mountain peaks, for long wanderings in unfamiliar areas, for southern sunsets and sunrises unknown to most Russian people …
Nicholas Roerich was born on October 9, 1874 in St. Petersburg. Since the time of Peter the Great, representatives of the Roerich family have occupied prominent military and administrative posts in Russia. His father, Konstantin Fedorovich, was a famous notary and public figure. Mother, Maria Vasilievna Kalashnikova, came from a merchant family. Among the friends of the Roerich family were such prominent figures as D. Mendeleev, N. Kostomarov, M. Mikeshin, L. Ivanovsky and many others. Nicholas Roerich received an excellent education: he studied in St. Petersburg at the Academy of Arts in 1893-1897 under Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi and at the same time at the Faculty of Law at the University, attended a course in the Faculty of History and Philology.
During the Russian period of his life and work, he worked as the director of the school of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of Arts, headed the art association "World of Art", and successfully worked as a set designer. In 1899 he met Elena Ivanovna Shaposhnikova in the estate of Prince Putyatin. In October 1901, their wedding took place. Helena Ivanovna became for Nicholas Roerich a faithful companion and inspirer, their whole life they will go hand in hand, creatively and spiritually complementing each other. In 1902, they had a son, Yuri, a future orientalist, and in 1904, Svyatoslav, a future artist and public figure. But since 1917 he lived with his beloved wife Elena abroad. She and her husband went through the Central Asian and Manchurian expeditions of the 20s and 30s of the last century,which now make it possible to rightfully rank Nicholas Roerich among the most talented travelers-researchers. But as a researcher-archaeologist, Nicholas Roerich nevertheless "began" in Russia.
Since 1892, Roerich began to conduct independent archaeological excavations. Already in his student years, he became a member of the Russian Archaeological Society. Carries out numerous excavations in St. Petersburg, Pskov, Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl, Smolensk provinces. Beginning in 1904, together with Prince Putyatin, he discovered several Neolithic sites in Valdai (in the vicinity of Lake Piros). Since 1905, Roerich began to collect a collection of Stone Age antiquities. In the summer of 1910 Nicholas Roerich together with his comrades carried out the first archaeological excavations in Novgorod. In 1903-1904, Roerich and his wife made a grandiose journey across Russia, visiting more than 40 cities famous for their ancient monuments. After the events of 1917, there were his creative trips to Sweden, England, USA.
In America, Roerich earned a reputation as a seer, guru and enemy of war, especially among wealthy people who provided him with funds. December 2, 1923 Nicholas Roerich with his family arrives from America to India. The route of his first Central Asian expedition passed through Sikkim, Kashmir, Ladakh, China (Xinjiang), Russia (with a stop in Moscow), Siberia, Altai, Mongolia, Tibet, through the unexplored regions of the Trans-Himalayas. The expedition lasted from 1924 to 1928. The expedition was officially declared as an American one, but in fact there were many Russians, Chinese, Mongols and Nepalese among its participants. During the expedition, archaeological and ethnographic research was carried out in unexplored parts of Asia, rare manuscripts were found, linguistic materials, works of folklore were collected, descriptions of local customs were made,two books were written, about five hundred paintings were created.
Roerich's first Central Asian expedition took place in several stages. Upon arrival in Mongolia, she developed into an independent Tibetan journey, now known as the Western Buddhist Mission to Lhasa. By its nature, the Tibetan expedition was not just an artistic and archaeological expedition, but, according to the statement of its head, Nicholas Roerich, had the status of a diplomatic embassy on behalf of the "Union of Western Buddhists". Roerich was considered by his entourage in the expedition as the "Western Dalai Lama." including the Dalai Lama, about how the first "Buddhist embassy" was greeted unfairly.
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The expedition was never allowed to enter Lhasa and was forced, at the cost of incredible difficulties and losses, to break through to India. There are several versions of what was the main purpose of the Roerichs' trip to the Central Asian expedition, there is no consensus. There is a widespread version that Roerich was an agent of the Comintern and the OGPU, and the expedition was organized with the money of Soviet intelligence, the purpose of which was to overthrow the XIII Dalai Lama. Roerich was allegedly involved in big politics, trying to fulfill the utopian dream of a "New Country". According to this version, Roerich with his wife and associates allegedly went to the Central Asian expedition to find Shambhala, and not to study plants, ethnology and languages. Some other historians also adhere to the version about the simultaneously spiritual and political goals of the search for a certain “Red Shambhala”.
But this, perhaps, is not the most "significant" journey of Roerich in terms of its significance and scientific results. After analyzing the tendencies of world politics and the prophecies collected in the Central Asian expedition, he suddenly comes to the conclusion that the mid-1930s may be marked by the unfolding of the process of "unification of Asia", which will begin with Mongolia, Manchuria, northern China and southern and southeastern Siberia … According to some historical sources, wishing to participate in this process whenever possible, he organizes a long-term expedition through the American Department of Agriculture to Manchuria and North China.
In 1930, Roerich became friends with the American Minister of Agriculture in the Franklin Roosevelt administration, who officially sent Roerich on an expedition to collect plant seeds that prevent the destruction of fertile soil layers. The expedition was organized in 1934-1935 and consisted of two parts. The first route included the Khingan Range and the Bargin Plateau, the second - the Gobi, Ordos and Alashan deserts. These routes passed through the territory of Inner Mongolia, located in the northern and northeastern parts of modern China. In addition to performing the "obligatory" work that was entrusted by the organizers and sponsors of the expedition, Nicholas Roerich wrote many sketches, conducted archaeological research, and collected materials on linguistics and folklore.
Within 17 months, Roerich wrote 222 essays for "Diary Leaves", which reflect the expeditionary work, touch on scientific and philosophical topics. As a result of the expedition, about 300 species of drought-resistant herbs were found, and medicinal plants were collected. Two thousand parcels of seeds were sent to America. True, the Minister of Agriculture Henry Wallace, who initiated the expedition, later told Congress that almost all the seeds found were either of low value or not at all. Perhaps this explanation can be found: during the expedition, Roerich, ignoring for the most part the mission entrusted to him, plunged into Asian politics, in vain encouraging the Buddhist masses to revolution.
For example, Roerich's first business meeting after leaving the United States on an expedition was in Japan with Minister of War Hayashi Senjuro, and the purpose of the meeting was not to collect seeds and roots, but to explore the possibilities of creating a new state in northeast Asia. During the expedition, Roerich was the most active among the numerous Russian emigration, becoming a prominent cultural leader. This caused dissatisfaction with the US authorities, on whose behalf and at whose expense the expedition was carried out. After the publication of a scandalous article in the Chicago Tribune in June 1935, where it was reported about the military preparations for the expedition near the borders of Mongolia, Minister Wallace broke off relations with the Roerichs, as they could ruin his reputation in the eyes of voters. The expedition was terminated ahead of schedule in Shanghai on September 21, 1935.
During the Great Patriotic War, while in India, Nicholas Roerich, from the very first days, uses all the opportunities to help his native country. Together with his younger son Svyatoslav, the elder Roerich arranges exhibitions and sale of paintings, and transfers all the proceeds to the fund of the Soviet Red Cross and Red Army. He writes articles in newspapers, speaks on the radio in support of the Soviet people.
Immediately after the end of the war, the artist applied for a visa to enter the Soviet Union, but on December 13, 1947, he passed away without ever knowing that he had been denied a visa. In the Kulu Valley in India, at the site of a funeral pyre, a large rectangular stone was erected on which the inscription was carved: “On December 15, 1947, the body of Maharishi Nicholas Roerich, the great Russian friend of India, was burnt here. Let there be peace."
ANDREY MIKHAILOV