On September, 25, 2014 the “International Exhibition Project “The Roerich Pact. History and Modernity” started in St.Petersburg with gala opening of the Project in the Russian National Library.

The Project organizers in St.Petersburg are: The International Center of the Roerichs (Moscow), The International Committee for Preservation of the Roerichs Heritage, the Russian National Library, the St.Petersburg Branch of the International Center of the Roerichs, with support of Committee on Foreign  Relations, RF, Consulate General of Belgium in St.Petersburg, Consulate General of Switzerland in St.Petersburg, Consulate General of India in St.Petersburg and Izvara Museum-estate.

“The Roerich Pact. History and modernity” exhibition is a part of the International Exhibition Project dated to the signing of the first international Treaty on protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historic monuments which 80 anniversary will be celebrated in 2015. The exhibition is aimed to show urgency of the Roerich’s ideas for protection of cultural values nowadays and to stress the necessity of international efforts for preservation of peace and culture on the planet.

The International exhibition project “The Roerich Pact. History and modernity” started in 2012 in Jeneva. Since then the Project visited France, Switzerland, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands and India. Since February 2014 the exhibition is held in Russian cities.

Gala opening of the exhibition in St.Petersburg Russian National Library started with the ICR video about history of the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace. Elena Tomsha, head of the scientific department of St.Petersburg Branch of the ICR, started the gala ceremony with the greeting letter from the St.Petersburg community and from the Russian compatriots: of the International Council of Russian Compatriots, from the Head of the Paris Rakhmaninov Conservatory, from the World-Wide “Slavic Civilization” Club and others.

I.I.Naumova, chief administrator of the Russian National Library noted good cooperation of the Russian National Library and St.Petersburg Branch of the International Center of the Roerichs and added that more than 180 objects from the RNB funds are exhibited.

A.V.Stetzenko, vice-president of the International Center of the Roerichs, first deputy-director of the Roerich Museum, greeted the opening of the exhibition on behalf of L.V.Shaposhnikova, president of the ICR and director general of the Roerich Museum in Moscow, and A.P.Losyukov, president of the International Committee for Preservation of the Roerichs Heritage. A.V.Stetzenko noted that the exhibition is devoted to Nicholas Roerich, author of the Roerich Pact and the one who made Russia and St.Petersburg famous all over the world. A.V.Stetzenko told about work of the International project “The Roerich Pact. History and Modernity” in various cities and countries throughout the world and in Russia, and stressed the urgency of the Roerich’s idea “Peace Through Culture” which is in the Roerich Pact and which aim is to stop wars on the planet.

Mr. Michel André Faillettaz, Consul General of Switzerland in St.Petersburg spoke about role of the Banner of Peace for the world: ”Roerich was a visionary and his Pact was aimed at protecting cultural monuments, his Banner of Peace was to be the equivalent of the Red Cross to signal our cultural heritage not to be destroyed.” “Like in Roerich’s time, this part of history belongs to all of us, not just to the populations where these monuments and objects are situated”, he stressed.

O.A.Cherkasova, director of the Izvara Museum-estate, expressed hope that the exhibiton will remind to all of  us the most important truth: there is no peace and no world without culture.

A.A.Bondarenko, director of the Roerich Family Museum-institute said that the Project is one of the most considerable in the year of Culture and stressed that the Roerich ideas should unite people.

E.A.Tomsha, chairman of the St.Petersburg Branch of the ICR reminded Yu.M.Vorontzov, the Russian diplomat’s words about the Roerich Pact: “The Roerich Pact is a noble Pact, it was initiated by a man of high culture”.

The gala opening continued with excursions on the exhibition and showing of L.V.Shaposhnikova film “The Call of Cosmic Evolution”, ICR, 2013.

The exhibition works till October, 17.

See also Museums of Russia