The Roerichs' family left a great cultural and spiritual heritage, concentrated in the Moscow Lopukhins estate. The International Roerich Museum in Moscow has settled in a mansion since 1993. The core of the exposition is the works of Nicholas and Elena Roerich, who created a unique philosophical concept of knowledge of the world.
Family history
The Museum has ten halls. Each has its own name. The exposition dedicated to the activities of the Roerich family is located on the second floor. Conceptually, the Roerich Museum is a public organization called to carry spiritual knowledge to the masses.
On the ground floor, in the opening hall, symbolic paintings in a golden-black palette by N. Volkova are presented. Through artistic images, visitors are invited to look into the past of mankind and unravel its future, predicted by N. Roerich. In the rhythm of the human heart, immersing visitors in the atmosphere of the museum, the crystal flashes and goes out, filling the room with flickering faces. Humanity is a thread connecting paintings together. She leads the visitor through the pages of spiritual history, talking about the great Teachers of the past depicted in the first five canvases, and leads to a person of a beautiful future - to a new era in which people become the likeness of the Creator of the Universe.
The next hall is Petersburg. N. Roerich and E. Roerich were born in St. Petersburg, there they met and married. Children's photos of the future couple are presented in the shop windows. The early gymnasium paintings by N. Roerich brush adorn the walls, testifying to the first stages of the artist’s talent development. In St. Petersburg, a love of archeology, history, understanding of his mission arose in him and the spiritual power of the philosopher woke up. Archival photographs of sons: Svyatoslav and Yuri are also exhibited here. Also, books, personal belongings of the family are presented for review.
First expedition
Russian Hall
The exhibits presented here combine pagan Rus and Christian Rus into a single whole. The Roerich Museum stores many artifacts from the first Russian expedition of the famous married couple. Numerous photographs taken during the pilgrimage of the young Roerichs to the ancient cities of Russia testify to their love and interest in the history of the Motherland. Conducted archaeological research strengthened Nicholas Roerich in veneration of the land and the past of his country.
Traveling in Holy Russia, the artist and thinker found confirmation of his thought about the unity of the civilizations of Russia and the East. From his trips, he brought rarities found in the earth, confirming the theory of unity, paintings, sketches, diaries, filled with admiration for the people and the ancient history of their native land. In the Russian Hall placed objects of ancient Russian art, paintings by the artist, photographs of that period.
Philosophy
The following halls of the Roerich Museum are devoted to the knowledge of the world, philosophical concepts, and numerous expeditions.
Living Ethics Hall
Here are the artworks of N. Roerich, which serve as illustrations for the teaching “Agni Yoga”, which his wife, E. Roerich, wrote in the thirties of the twentieth century. You can also see the first editions of the work “Agni Yoga”, portraits of Helena Roerich, a conceptual exhibition of busts of prominent thinkers of mankind. Filled with a deep blue color, the hall immerses the excursionists in the mysterious world of high matters and intimate knowledge. Majestic sculptures, embodying the Masculine and Feminine beginnings, help tourists to get closer to the sources of knowledge.
Teachers Hall
The rarities of this hall are the center of the Roerich Museum, a holy place for employees and visitors. Here are exhibits testifying to the deep love for the Mahatmas of humanity. Teaching and apprenticeship are milestones of the Roerich family. Their reverent attitude to the Living Ethics of relationships with previous generations of Teachers is reflected in the paintings placed in the hall. In the windows showcases objects donated by Helena Roerich to the Teacher - books, art objects, commemorative signs. Here is a letter written by Teacher on birch bark and addressed to Elena.
Scientific activity
Hall of the Central Asian Expedition
Using the map presented in the hall, you can trace the route of the legendary Roerich expedition to the East. During the trip, N. Roerich was convinced of the existence of a single center, a source of knowledge, which laid the foundation for the cultural community of Russia, India, Tibet. Documents in the showcases of the hall tell about the stages of the expedition, diary notes of the participants in the campaign. Unique photographic news frames tell about the difficulties of the path, achievements, impressions. The paintings painted by Nicholas Roerich during this period are distinguished by special spirituality, insights, piercing clarity of colors. Some of the paintings are placed in the walls of the hall.
Kulu Hall
Here you can go to the Kulu valley, where Nicholas Roerich and his family lived for twenty years. In the valley, he founded the unique Institute of Himalayan Studies, called "Urusvati". Nicholas Roerich was a leading specialist of the institute, devoting his time to the study of human psychic energy, opportunities for spiritual development, and the power of thought. Research was devoted to the winter months, and archaeological expeditions were organized in the summer.
Evidence of hard work, scientific achievements are stored in the Kulu Hall. The luminaries of world science, such as Einstein, Vavilov, were involved in the research work. The stages of the institute's development, expedition routes, and discoveries are introduced to the hall stands. The Roerich Museum provides extensive materials on the Indian period of life of thinkers.
Social and cultural activities
Peace Banner Hall
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich was a conductor and protector of the cultural heritage of Russia. He opposed the destruction of historical monuments and preached the unity of earthly civilization. A model of the globe revolves in the center of the hall, representing a house common to all peoples, and the unifying symbol is the Banner of Peace with three sacred spheres of trinity.
The Banner of Peace is N. Roerich's dream of the unity of all people, of life without war and destruction, the desire for a single spiritual growth of all earthlings. Before World War II, in 1931, Nikolai Grigorievich created the famous Roerich Pact, calling for the preservation of cultural heritage and becoming the basis for the creation of the League of Culture, which established the Day of Culture. Documents of that time are placed on the hall stands, they are proudly kept by the Roerich Museum. Photos, diary notes, and transcripts of meetings testify to the vigorous activity in this direction.
The successors of the Roerichs
The two remaining rooms are dedicated to the life and work of Yuri Roerich, the eldest son, and Svyatoslav Roerich, the youngest son, who became the founder of the Roerich Community Center in Moscow.
Yuri Roerich - orientalist, linguist, artist, archaeologist. He devoted his life to the study of the finds and heritage of Nicholas Roerich, painted.
Svyatoslav Roerich - artist, public figure. His paintings are filled with deep sacred meaning, which does not open immediately. His worship of beauty is reflected in every brush stroke, in every gesture of his heroes.
