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In 2010 the world community celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Roerich Pact known in the world as the first International Treaty on protection for historic monuments, museums, scientific, artistic, educational and cultural institutions. The Treaty was signed on April 15, 1935 in Washington. This year gala events in commemoration of the Pact Anniversary  took place in different countries and cities, the events showed urgency and need of the Pact ideas.

Opening of the photo-exhibition «75 years of the Roerich Pact» from the archive of the International Centre of the Roerichs took place in the Russian National Library, St.Petersburg . The organizers of the event: The Russian State National Library, The International Centre of the Roerichs (St.Petersburg Branch), Museum-Estate of N. Roerich in Isvara (Leningrad area).The event was supported by General Consulates of India and Belgium in St.Petersburg and by St.Petersburg Association of International Cooperation.

The gala event started with showing of videofilm “Red Cross of Culture”, which was created by the ICR especially for the anniversary. In the video-presentation E.A.Tomsha the chairman of the St.Petersburg Branch of the ICR described the photo documents, art creative work of Nicholas Roerich at the time, the Baner of Peace movement nowadays.

Likhomanov Anton Vladimirovich deputy director of the Russian State National Library opening the exhibition in a new Library building noted that the exhibition was an important event for St.Petersburg for which the idea of protection of cultural heritage is especially urgent. He witnessed destruction of cultural monuments in Tskhinvali, he stressed the necessity of cultural protection not only in wars but in peace as well. “Where culture is not respected, there a man is not respected, and where a man is not respected there is terror, poverty and backwardness”, he said.

Mrs. Radhika Lokesh, the Consulate General of India, stressed the importance of the event which is devoted to one of the most important documents of the XX century – to the Roerich Pact. For Nicholas Roerich culture and peace was a basis for the world humanity; culture is above boarders, she said. Mrs. Radhika Lokesh noted that the Roerich ideas were understood among his contemporaries. And nowadays the ideas are urgent. Recent shocking events in some parts of the world show that cultural values still need protection. The 75th anniversary is a moment to revise our devotion to the ideas. Problems which we meet in the modern world can be solved only by mutual effort with the help of international cooperation with such organizations as the ICR and joint cultural events. “The exhibition is important not only for India and Russia, it is important for a lot of other countries and this is greatly valuable”, she said.

Within the frames of the exhibition books about life and creative work of the Roerichs published by the ICR were presented to the Russian State National Library. Likhomanov A.V. noted that it is a good tradition to present books to the Library; the books are needed both by the readers and by electronic books delivery. The books will be kept forever as in the RNB books are not written off.

The event finished with string quartet “Nocturne” concert. In the concert program Bach I.S., Mozart V.A., Vivaldi A., Brams I., Straus  I., Sviridorov G. music was played. The music harmonized the gala events in  the RNB.

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