The Roerichs & India Bonds of Friendship

Video address by Svetlana Lukash, Russia's G20 Sherpa to participants of the opening of the joint Russian-Indian exhibition, dedicated to the history of the Roerichs’ ties with India and dedicated to the G20 Summit.

The exhibition is a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of Russia to commemorate the upcoming 150th birth anniversary of Nicholas Roerich and the 120th birth anniversary of Svetoslav Roerich. It is being held under the auspices of the G20 Digital Museum – the flagship cultural and educational project of India’s G20 Presidency. The exhibition materials are provided by the State Museum of Oriental Art.

H.E. Mr Denis Alipov, Russian Ambassador to India, and H.E. Mr Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa in the G20, delivered the welcome speech at the opening ceremony. A prerecorded address by H.E. Ms. Svetlana Lukash, Russia's G20 Sherpa, was also delivered. The renowned cultural figure and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Dr Sonal Mansingh, who made a significant contribution to the development of the Indian classical dance and personally knew Svetoslav Roerich’s wife – the famous actress Devika Rani, joined the event as the Guest of Honour.

The exhibition provided insight into the key life milestones of Nicholas Roerich and his son, Svetoslav Roerich, in relation to India. It also highlighted
the profound impact of India's spiritual and artistic traditions, as well as its breathtaking natural beauty, on the artistic endeavors of these two distinguished Russian artists. Special attention is paid to the friendship of this outstanding family not only with representatives of local artistic community, notably with the writer, Nobel Prize laureate Rabindranath Tagore, but also political leaders and freedom fighters of India – Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. In the context of the attempts of a number of Western countries to politicize the cultural sphere of multilateral cooperation, particular emphasis is placed on the efforts of Nicholas Roerich to develop the concept of “Peace through Culture”, preserve the world cultural heritage and conclude the first ever international treaty aimed at protecting monuments, known as the “Roerich Pact”.