Statement of the International Centre of the Roerichs concerning the Decision of the Arbitration Court of Moscow

21.03.17

On March 20, 2017 the Arbitration Court of Moscow upheld a lawsuit of the State Museum of Oriental Art supported by Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimuschestvo) claiming avoidance of the gratuitous lease contracts and eviction of the International Centre of the Roerichs from the Lopoukhins’ Estate.
The ICR considers this decision of the Arbitration Court is entirely unreasonable and will appeal the court judgment after receiving its text.
A grave injustice happened! The Ministry of Culture and the Court without any legal grounds evict the non-governmental Museum established by Svetoslav Roerich from the Estate transferred to the ICR for allocation and carrying on activity of the non-governmental Museum. That is how the Ministry of Culture using its whole administrative resource has been performing consecutive raids on Lopoukhins’ Estate and Roerichs’ heritage forgetting that they flagrantly violate the will of Svetoslav Roerich, donator of the heritage, Indian citizen who transferred the heritage to Russia when two conditions are met: heritage is given for creation of the non-governmental Museum which must be located at the Lopoukhins’ Estate. One may consider that until today the State has fulfilled all of its obligations. After the Decision of the Arbitration Court of Moscow on eviction of the non-governmental Museum of the ICR from the Lopoukhins’ Estate, the State takes steps towards violation of guarantees given to Svetoslav Roerich.
Through all its possibilities in the legal framework, The International Centre of the Roerichs will continue to defend the implementation of will of Svetoslav Roerich – to protect the non-governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich and preserve the transferred heritage. 
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