Roerichism: Difference between revisions

[[File:UN and Banner of Peace (Stamp).jpg|thumb|300px|{{center|The [[United Nations|UN]] and the [[Banner of Peace]]—Symbol of Roerichism: the ''[[Pax Cultura]]'', the true culture being the "Cult of Light", the "Light of Fire", the all-pervading Fire ([[Agni]]). [[Postage stamp|Stamp]], 1986}}]]

 

 

The movement centers on the [[Neo-Theosophy|Neo-Theosophical]] [[Doctrine#Religious usage|religious doctrine]] of [[Agni Yoga]], or the Living Ethics, transmitted by [[Helena Roerich]] and [[Nicholas Roerich]]. Agni Yoga draws ideas from [[Theosophy]], [[Eastern religions|Eastern]] and [[Western religions]], [[historical Vedic religion|Vedic]] and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] traditions, molding them into [[Russian culture]], too. Agni Yoga is the spiritual foundation of Roerichism.

 

==Teachers and their teachings==

 

===Helena Roerich===

[[File:Helena Roerich (V. Serov).jpg|thumb|left|210px|{{center|[[Helena Roerich]], 1909 <br /> by [[Valentin Serov]]}}]]

{{Main|Helena Roerich}}

 

 

 

 

===Nicholas Roerich===

He studied at the [[Karl May School]], at the [[Imperial Academy of Arts]], and at [[St. Petersburg University]] from 1893–1898, and simultaneously at the Law University as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lib.icr.su/node/145|title=ПЛАНЕТА "РЕРИХ"|work=Электронная библиотека Международного Центра Рерихов|publisher=icr.su|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130200742/http://lib.icr.su/node/145|url-status=live|archivedate=30 November 2017}}</ref> He wrote,"From 1890s, I saw accurate symbolisms of their people's morals shown in the main directions of philosophy, cultural memorials, monuments, literature and religions from ancient India, China, Tibet and [[Mongolian culture]]". For forty-two years Roerich lived in Russia, in India for twenty years, in the United States for three years, in Finland for two years, in France for one year, in England for one year, in China for two years, in Tibet for half a year and in Mongolia for seven–eight months. Roerich twice toured through Central and Eastern Asia, in 1924 and 1934, and following his travels in Mongolia's [[Gobi]], in the [[Altai Mountains]] and the [[Himalayan Mountains]], he wrote the books "Heart of Asia" and "Altai-Himalaya". In order for humankind to coexist peacefully, he initiated the Roerich Pact during World War II for the purpose of protecting world cultural values, together with well-known international figures ([[Albert Einstein]], [[Tagore]]). Roerich's paintings, so attractive with their combinations of colours, symbols, and secrets, depict hidden ideas and deep meanings. Roerich, knowing the Buddha legend, toured through the Indian and Tibetan mountains looking for the legendary [[Shambhala]]. The Roerichs are also famous for introducing Shambhala in the [[Buddhism|Buddhist teachings]] of [[Western countries]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Batbayar S.|url=http://www.tibet.ca/en/newsroom/wtn/4786|title=Russian Scientist Roerich and Mongolia|publisher=Canada Tibet Committee News|date=27 November 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027102004/http://www.tibet.ca/en/library/wtn/4786|url-status=dead|archivedate=27 October 2017}}</ref>

 

[[Jawaharlal Nehru]]'s tribute to Roerich,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.roerich.ee/index.php?lang=eng&page=greetings_eng.htm|title=Estonian Roerich Society: Greetings|publisher=roerich.ee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726120718/http://www.roerich.ee/index.php?lang=eng&page=greetings_eng.htm |archive-date=26 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{blockquote|When I think of Nicholas Roerich I am astounded at the scope and abundance of his activities and creative genius. A great artist, a great scholar and writer, archaeologist and explorer, he touched and lighted up so many aspects of human endeavour. The very quantity is stupendous – thousands of paintings and each one of them a great work of art. When you look at these paintings, so many of them of the Himalayas, you seem to catch the spirit of those great mountains which have towered over the Indian plain and been our sentinels for ages past. They remind us of so much in our history, our thought, our cultural and spiritual heritage so much not merely of the India of the past but of something that is permanent and eternal about India, that we cannot help feeling a great sense of indebtedness to Nicholas Roerich who has enshrined that spirit in these magnificent canvases.}}

===Roerich's sons===

Nicholas and Helena had two children: George (1902 – 1960) and Svetoslav (1904 – 1993).

 

====George de Roerich====

====Svetoslav Roerich====

{{Main|Svetoslav Roerich}}

 

{{multiple image

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====The Agni Yoga Society====

 

The Agni Yoga Society was founded in 1920 by Helena and Nicholas Roerich. It is a non-profit educational institution incorporated in 1946 under the laws of the [[State of New York]], and is supported entirely by voluntary contributions and membership dues. This organization was located in the building called "[[Master Apartments]]". The aims of the Society are embodied in the philosophy that gives it its name — Agni Yoga — as contained in the books of the Agni Yoga series published by the Society. In them is found a synthesis of ancient Eastern beliefs and modern Western thought, and a bridge between the spiritual and the scientific.

===The Master Institute of United Arts and Nicholas Roerich Museum===

{{Main|Master Apartments|Nicholas Roerich Museum}}

 

The mansion where it was located also housed the [[Nicholas Roerich Museum]], containing many of the thousands of paintings Roerich had created, and "Corona Mundi", which arranged exhibitions of paintings by Roerich and international artists. The Nicholas Roerich Museum in [[New York City]] is dedicated to the works of [[Nicholas Roerich]], whose work focused on nature scenes from the [[Himalayas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/travel/16journeys.html?pagewanted=all|title=Specialty Museums: Finding Art, Not Crowds, in New York|date=16 April 2006|author=Seth Kugel|work=[[The New York Times]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608070339/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/travel/journeys-specialty-museums-finding-art-not-crowds-in-new-york.html?_r=0|url-status=live|archivedate=8 June 2022}}</ref> The museum is located in a [[brownstone]] at 319 West 107th Street on [[Manhattan]]'s [[Upper West Side]]. The museum was originally located in the Master Apartments at 103rd Street and [[Riverside Drive (Manhattan)|Riverside Drive]], which were built especially for Roerich in 1929.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEED6123BF93AA15752C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Streetscapes/The Master Apartments; A Restoration for the Home of a Russian Philosopher|date=29 January 1995|author=Christopher Gray|work=[[The New York Times]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609123930/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/realestate/streetscapes-master-apartments-restoration-for-home-russian-philosopher.html|url-status=live|archivedate=9 June 2016}}</ref> Currently, the museum includes between 100 and 200 of Roerich's works as well as a collection of archival materials.<ref>{{cite book|title=Spiritual Places|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uW_BBAAAQBAJ&q=%22Nicholas+Roerich+Museum%22&pg=PT97|last=Squires| first=Emily|authorlink=Emily Squires|author2=Len Belzer|year=2008|pages=96|publisher=Cosimo, Inc.|isbn=978-1605201542}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roerich.org/museum-about.php|title=Nicholas Roerich Museum (New York)|publisher=roerich.org|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715174610/http://www.roerich.org/museum-about.php|url-status=live|archivedate=15 July 2016}}</ref> The Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York is the largest center of Roerich-related activity outside of Russia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isfp.co.uk/russian_thinkers/nikolay_roerich.html|title=Nikolay Roerich|publisher=isfp.co.uk|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316173655/http://www.isfp.co.uk/russian_thinkers/nikolay_roerich.html|url-status=live|archivedate=16 March 2017}}</ref>

By the President: [[Cordell Hull]] Secretary of State.}}

 

 

===The American-Russian Cultural Association===

 

==Post-Roerichs==

 

===The World Organisation of Culture of Health (WOCH)===

* [[Victor Skumin]]

}}

 

==References==

 

==Videos==

 

{{Neopaganism}}