Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich
Николай Рерих
Roerich c. 1940–1947
Born(1874-10-09)October 9, 1874
DiedDecember 13, 1947(1947-12-13) (aged 73)
NationalityRussian
Occupation(s)painter, archaeologist, costume and set designer for ballets, operas, and dramas
SpouseHelena Roerich
ChildrenGeorge de Roerich,
Svetoslav Roerich
Signature

Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh[a] (Russian: Николай Константинович Рерих), better known as Nicholas Roerich (/ˈrɛrɪk/; October 9, 1874 – December 13, 1947), was a Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist, philosopher, and public figure. In his youth he was influenced by Russian Symbolism, a movement in Russian society centered on the spiritual. He was interested in hypnosis and other spiritual practices and his paintings are said to have hypnotic expression.[1][2]

Born in Saint Petersburg, to a well-to-do Baltic German father and to a Russian mother,[3] Roerich lived in various places in the world until his death in Naggar, India.[4] Trained as an artist and a lawyer, his main interests were literature, philosophy, archaeology, and especially art. Roerich was a dedicated activist for the cause of preserving art and architecture during times of war. He was nominated several times to the longlist for the Nobel Peace Prize.[5] The so-called Roerich Pact (for the protection of cultural objects) was signed into law by the United States and most other nations of the Pan-American Union in April 1935.


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  1. ^ Nicholas Roerich: In Search of Shambala by Victoria Klimentieva, стр. 31
  2. ^ Nicholas Roerich Museum Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Andrei Znamenski, Red Shambhala: Magic, Prophecy, and Geopolitics in the Heart of Asia, Quest Books (2011), p. 157
  4. ^ "Nicholas Roerich - Russian set designer". Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  5. ^ Nobel Prize Nomination Database