Children of the World about the World

International Festival of Children’s Creative Initiatives India, Naggar

While the Forum participants were in Naggar, there were a number of interesting meetings. One of them was with the CEO of the International Roerich Memorial Trust (the IRMT), Alena Adamkova. She spoke about history of the Roerichs’ estate in Kullu, about its present condition, she said that the Arts College named after E.I. Roerich was opened here, in the building of “Urusvati”, in April 2003. About 130 children from Naggar and the local villages study at college, they are taught four subjects: Hindu classical and folk music, dance, acting and painting. The first alumni of the College continue education at art institutions of India. A. Adamkova showed the Forum participants round the memorial estate /museum.

In the exhibition hall of the Roerichs’ estate /museum in Narrag “the Pedagogical talks” were held. They were opened by О.А. Urozhenko. She shared her ideas about the past of Kullu Valley and the influence of various religious traditions connected with numerous chthonic gods of the valley on culture development as it is nowadays. Thereupon, she pointed out that during “the Pedagogical talks” the participants would hear some unusual video-greetings from children of Russian and other countries addressed to the students of the Art College, which may, accompanied by the Forum participants’ warm wishes, contribute to the cultural constructive processes throughout the valley. “I believe it is very important that our future – children from Russia and the post-soviet space would send their greetings here, genial thoughts and wishes, and thus will take part in the Forum for the benefit of the Future”,- said Olga Alekseevna.

The theatrical recital of a poem by Rabindranath Tagore entitled “Two Birds” by the sisters Dildan Alamanova, Ayana Alamanova and Anarbay kyzy Milana from Kyrgyzstan served as a sort of epigraph to the “the Pedagogical talks.” A story about two birds recited in English with all their hearts made a deep impression. The head of the Center for Humane Pedagogy in Bishkek, Dzhirgal Adzhikeevna Kutmanalieva, explained how the girls worked on this greeting for India and how they wanted to show the beauty of their motherland, the scope of pure imagination in their video-presentation.

The Vice-President of Roerich Society in Tula, the head of Planetarium of the Tula Children (Youth) Creativity Center, the supervisor of the Children and Youth Research and Education Program “Towards the Stars!” of The International Council of the Roerich Organizations named after S.N. Roerich, Andrey Gennadyevich Zimin backed up the creative atmosphere created by the Kyrgyz. He spoke about the Children and Youth Conference “Russia and Cosmic Thinking”, held in Tula and presented the exhibition of children’s paintings “The Light of Beauty” dedicated to India.

A.G. Zimin said:

Towards the stars!” - that's the name of the Children and Youth Research and Education Program, that has been implemented for 6 years in the planetarium of the Tula Children (Youth) Creativity Center (Russia). Stars are associated with dreams — far and magnificent, inviting and unreachable, and also they are associated with the practical steps, that bring the dreams closer”.

The aim of this program is to involve children in the beautiful, the sublime, the sophisticated, to teach them how to dream and to look for beauty, joy and happiness in life, make sense of themselves as human beings not only of one planet named the Earth, but also as residents of the whole Universe. The program appeals to different types of creativity: artistic, poetic, scientific, musical. With the help of diverse creativity the personality of a child is revealed more completely and more comprehensively, as is the integrity and diversity of its internal world, expressing himself the child learns to understand his/her internal world, full of mysteries and secrets. The program engages creative youth, that thinks over mysteries of the Nature, the humans, the Creation, the youth, that muses about the Meaning of Life, and that wishes to find a better application of their abilities, so that in future to realize their creative potential.

As a part of this program, exhibitions of children's pictures and conferences «Russia and Cosmic Thinking» are held annually in Tula. A city child and youth scientific society «Polyot» («The Flight») carries out researches on the new cosmic thinking in a planetarium of the Tula Children (Youth) Creativity Center.

City children and youth scientific conferences «Russia and Cosmic Thinking» are held under the auspices of the Group of Astronauts from the Astronaut Training Center named after Y.A. Gagarin and of the Tula State Pedagogical University named after L.N. Tolstoy. Such conferences unite young researches, thinkers, astronomers that dream of studying the Universe, of meeting the Brothers in Mind, of changing the people's attitude towards the Life on our Planet and turning it into a wonderful harmonic world where people would live in collaboration with the Nature and the Universe.

The program of the conference includes the following sections: astronomy, cosmonautics, space philosophy, poetry and prose devoted to the Space. Conference participants represent their creations in comfortable halls of the Center and of the Pedagogical University: they read reports on selected topics, accompanying them with presentations, recite poems and science-fiction stories.

Every year a conference is dedicated to topical events and anniversaries: the 45th anniversary of the first human (Y.A. Gagarin's) flight to Space (2006), the 150th anniversary of K.E. Tsiolkovsky (2007), the 145th anniversary of the academician V.I. Vernadskiy (2008), International year of astronomy, Year of India in Russia and the 135th anniversary of the academician N.K. Roerich (2009).

The conference of 2010 was held on between April 12 and April 15, 2010 – from Cosmonautics Day till Culture Day - and was devoted to the Year of Teacher and to 75th anniversary of the Roerich Pact. Along with sections on astronomy, physics, cosmonautics and space philosophy, there were was a section entitled “Culture is the basis of the cosmic evolution of the humans. Dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Roerich Pact”. It included the following reports: “The History of the Roerich Pact”, “N.K. Roerich about the Role of Culture”, “N.K. Roerich’ Biography and Heritage”, “Historical and Cultural Monuments on the territory of Tula” and others.

A Painter, a thinker and a scientist, N.K. Roerich presented a new concept of Culture in his fiction and literary writings. The most prominent researcher of the N.K. Roerich’ heritage, academician, the Director of Moscow Museum named after N.K. Roerich, L.V. Shaposhnikova calls culture “The Holy Grail of the Cosmic Evolution”. She writes: “In his essays Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich worked out a completely new concept of Culture, penetrated by ideas of the Living Ethics, and having the practical evolutional meaning. Among numerous achievements of the XXth century this realistic concept connected to the Space evolution was one of his greatest findings”. Russian scientists V.I. Vernadsky, N.K. Roerich, P.A. Florensky, K.E. Tsiolkovsky, A.L. Chizevsky were the pioneers of the new cosmic thinking that appeared in Russia in late XIXth – early XXth centuries, N.K. Roerich’s Concept of Culture being the most important for that thinking.

Now we are going to listen to a speech of one of the participants of the Conference “Russia and Cosmic Thinking”, Proshkin Daniil, which is entitled “N.K. Roerich on the Role of Culture. Culture and Cosmic Evolution of a Human Being”. Daniil takes an active part in public work of “Yunaya Duma” Movement and the Scientific Society “Polet”, he participated in conferences in conferences several times making reports on cultural issues, he is a participant and the winner of children and youth conferences “Russia and the Cosmic Thinking” (2009-2010), city science readings “A step into Science” (2009).

In his video speech Proshkin Daniil said:

Epigraph: “Culture is not a trendy, stylish or fashionable notion. It is the vital basis of life bound to the Hierarchy of Evolution with the sacred silverhords”. (Nicholas Roerich).

We all live in a difficult and controversial world, where it is easy to get lost. It is obvious that society is going through a crisis. The whole world and all of mankind is suffering from a spiritual crisis. In all countries, regardless of social system, such phenomena as alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, and moral degradation are developing. The number of suicides associated with disappointment in life, particularly among young people, is increasing. Wealth neither solves problems nor eliminates the crisis, because what causes them is the loss of understanding what ‘life’ means. Figuratively speaking, mankind is like passengers on a train who only worry about staying comfortable inside the train and do not remember where they are going and what they are going for. People have lost their more distant, spiritual guidelines.

A craving to build a sufficiently coherent system of the universe in one’s mind, find one’s place in it, and live in compliance with these ideas can be easily traced throughout the human history.

The purpose of this work is to introduce N.K. Roerich’ concepts of culture as a backbone of human evolution and a foundation for spiritual living. Without understanding of the fundamental principles of human culture described by Roerich in his books, the spiritual progress of any person is impossible. Once we understand the nature of culture, we can build a clear strategy on how to overcome the numerous crises that require urgent resolutions. The most fundamental of these crises is the spiritual crisis that causes all other problems.

Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich, a great Russian artist and scientist, was one of the few who, in the XXth century, understood the true meaning of culture and its cosmic role in the human evolution. He realized its philosophical meaning and wanted to reveal it to the others. Roerich’s heritage is enormous: more than 7,000 paintings (scattered all over the world) and countless literary works – books, essays, articles, and diaries.

His scientific and philosophical legacy provides a clear system for studying factors and mechanisms resulting in unity of the human and the Space, which occupied the minds of the leading scientists and philosophers/cosmists of the previous century. Moral and ethical principles are the core of this unity.

In his works, Roerich considered culture as the very essence of the human microcosm involved in the overall evolutionary scheme of the Universe. Roerich about Culture: “Culture is the reverence of Light. Culture is the love towards the human. Culture is the aroma, the combination of Life and Beauty. Culture is the synthesis of sublime and exquisite achievements. Culture is the armor of Light. Culture is salvation. Culture is the moving force. Culture is the Heart”. “Culture is the accumulation of divine Grace, Beauty, and Knowledge”.

The basis of Roerich’ heritage is a multi-volume series of books “the Living Ethics” which the academician Lyudmila Shaposhnikova calls "the philosophy of cosmic reality," she underlines that it represents a cognition system.

The Living Ethics” contains a detailed concept of cosmic evolution of humanity and is based on the energy outlook, according to which all phenomena in the world have the energy nature. Living Ethics provides us with a coherent, holistic picture of Existence. This philosophical, ethical, spiritual and moral teachings are a synthesis of the diverse experience of mankind.

One of the main peculiarities of “the Living Ethics” is that it provides people with guidelines in their lives. As stated in “the Living Ethics”, its task is to set landmarks for people to move in their development.

Every human being with ability to create and explore the world by various means is included in the energy structure of the Universe which is governed by certain laws. This outlook shows that energy is inseparable from the matter component in the structure of the Universe, a part of which are humans themselves.

Cosmos - people relation determines N.K. Roerich’ concept of Culture. Everything in this world, including the Human, exists in Space, and they are affected by its turbulent energy, its rhythms, its penetrating rays, flows of different particles of matter, magnetic currents, pulses, and so on. In the cognition system of “the Living Ethics” we are talking about the Universe, a substance which does not consist of dead matter, supposedly illuminated by occasional sparks of life somewhere in the depths of cosmos. It consists of spirit-matter, which is diverse, alive and spiritual. Culture, according to “the Living Ethics”, acts as a specific energy structure, contained in every human being.

In cognition system of “the Living Ethics”, culture and its development are associated with a special kind of subtle energy. All manifestations of life, as Roerich said, "are the result of movement and vibration". Further, we find an indication that matter itself is a spirit in movement and vibration. This implies that matter is filled with life; it is inseparable from the spirit.

In view of the foregoing, spirit is a special kind of matter and the highest form of energy – the energy of fire, inseparable from the concept of culture. In one of his essays, N. Roerich writes that culture cannot exist without fire and without a heart. The heart, the spiritual heart, of the human being and his spirit are united. The heart is called "a fire building" and "the house of Spirit” in the “Living Ethics".

N.K. Roerich’ comments on school upbringing in the context of his concept of Culture are of certain importance. By fourteen years old, a person’s spirit starts to meet the challenges of the current incarnation. By this time personality formation is basically over. Therefore, school must provide not only education but what is more important, development.

"Schools should give students the broadest outlook onto the nature of things, the laws of the space and human existence".

"The nature of things should be taught among the earliest subjects. It should be coherently presented, as real as it is; succession of worlds should be demonstrated along with scientific comparisons".

"Schools should be the bastion of knowledge. Every school, starting from the primary school, should be a living link through all the educational institutions up to the higher institutions. Cognition must continue for the whole life. Applied knowledge should be taught at the same time as history and philosophy", - wrote N.K. Roerich.

Roerich’ ideas give us the opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the miraculous and highly important phenomenon, commonly called "culture". Arguments about culture and substation of the same for some other concepts will not allow the society to overcome the crisis, while an abstract attitude to it, gradually turning into total disregard, leads to even greater lack of spirituality, deep and total demise of all aspects of civilization. Lack of spirituality means “without spirit”, without the higher bonds, without a holistic understanding of the human being, ignoring the subtle matter, without the space and all the subtle interactions. Only appealing to the depths of human nature, inseparable from the complex and multi-dimensional reality of the Universe, understanding of the essence and principles of the Universe reality, can provide a way out. Upon thorough examination, such a basis shall be the Culture.

In conclusion I would quote the words of Nicholas Roerich: "... even in the minority, even persecuted, as it was in ancient times, still let some people gather in the true celebration of culture, where, without a back thought, without pompous idle talks, they would swear to follow the paths of Culture , the paths of spiritual perfection. Let it be so in different countries in all corners of the world where the human heart is beating".

А.G. Zimin mentioned that there take place annual exhibitions of children’s paintings in the Creativity Center. The exhibition “The Light of Beauty” in 2009 was dedicated to the Year of India in Russia and the 135th anniversary of N. K. Roerich. Young artists from art studios, art and general comprehensive schools of the city presented their creations devoted to India. They painted India basing on impressions of the country from films, books they had read, their favorite fairy-tales, etc. The exhibition included more than 200 works, which reflected the children’s vision of India: its nature – from bright tropical to severe beauty of the landscape of the Himalayas, its fauna – elephants and peacocks, its extraordinary architecture – ancient temples and palaces, the vivid colors of national holidays and traditional garments. Children’s perception of India, its one-of-the-kind beauty and mystery helped young artists to create unusually colored works on various topics, reflecting diverse ideas. The exhibition opening was associated with the International Day of the Earth, March 20. 12 beats of the Bell of the World announced the beginning of the astronomical spring and, as it rang, the holiday visitors were wishing peace and friendship to every resident of our beautiful.

Some of these paintings were selected for the exhibition entitled “India as viewed by children”, which was held as a part of the Forum at first in the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Delhi, next in the Institute of Himalayan Studies “Ursuvati.” In addition to Tula, the exhibition included creative works by the young talents from Saratov, Perm and Penza. By decision of the Forum participants, the exhibition was donated to Roerichs’ Estate/Museum in Niggara, Kullu.

А.G. Zimin during “Pedagogical talks” also spoke about a series of events dedicated to the Year of India, which took place in the Planetarium of the Center in Tula. They included: a meeting with a traveler S.P.Kiriyenko, who has been to India many times, entitled “Introduction into India. Culture, Customs and Unique Nature”, a panel discussion “Earth Route of the Cosmic Evolution. The 80th Anniversary of Academician N.K. Roerich’s Central Asian Expedition”; slide-program devoted to paintings of Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich and Sviatoslav Nikolayevich Roerich depicting India; watching of the films “Invitation to N.K. Roerich’s Museum” (Moscow), “Kumbh Mela”, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”and so on.

At the end of A.G. Zimin’s speech, there was a video performance of a young poetess, Katya Korabelnikova, an 8th form student. She enthusiastically recited her poems, which she had translated into English by herself and a legend about constellations written by a poetess and a writer L. Filimonova.

The art critic and the head of the Roerichs’ National Museum, Elena Stanislavovna Kulakova, introduced the young talents from Novokuznetsk. She introduced Daniil Posazhennikov as a many-sided person. Daniil is a first year student of the Novosibirsk Music College, he writes poems, stories devoted to “the Living Ethics”. His speech was entitled “Spiritual link between India and Russia in creative works of prominent Russian artists”. In the end, the young author played a composition entitled “Musical Fantasy.”

In his videospeech Posazhennikov Daniil said:

"Russia will lead the rest of the world after itself, but India will show the way". These are the words of the great Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda who paid attention to Russia in his magnificent works more than once. And this statement is the most exact description of the spiritual connection between two countries. The conception "way" is a spiritual one, and the indication of the way is, first of all, the spiritual cooperation or the spiritual co creation of two powers. This spiritual connection helps Russia, like a young tree full of the unrevealed potential power, to survive through a drought.

Looking back at our common past, we see the metaphor above becomes reality. Thus, in the middle of the 19th century the creative work of a theosophist, writer, traveler, a Russian woman, Elena Blavatskaya, who contributed a lot to the global spirituality, became the saving link. She was the pioneer of a new Doctrine, the one who opened the unusual and sacral India to Russia and the rest of the world by her work. "For India of the present and the future E.P. Blavatskaya has not died and will never die", said Prince Asper Ukhtomsky about his compatriot.

The true Culture flourished thanks to the contact of the two countries which according to the philosopher Elena Roerich, grows with the culture of spirit and heart, consequently, with spirituality. The consolidation and strengthening of spiritual cooperation is vividly reflected in the creative activity of the outstanding people of Russian culture.

Thus, from 1874 to 1876 and from 1882 to 1885 a prominent Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin made two trips to India, which resulted in more than 150 sketches revealing the beauty of the southern country. In the same 19th century, a contemporary of Elena Blavatskaya, a great Russian writer Lev Tolstoy made a vital contribution to the promotion of spiritual connection between India and Russia in unusual cooperation with Mahatma Gandy. As it is known, during the last years of his life Lyev Nikolayevich devoted a lot of time to thorough research into the East, India in particular. In 1909 - 1910 he was in touch with the chief of liberation movement in India, Mahatma Gandy, the Great Soul who sacrificed himself for the sake of his home country. These two unusual men became very much closer in the understanding of the world, where the main principles were love and nonviolence. As if representing India and Russia, Mahatma Gandy and Leo Tolstoy’s cooperation confirmed the great spiritual connection of two nations.

During the 19th and at the turn of the 20th centuries many Russian writers were interested in Indian literature and translated it into their mother languages. Such masters of poetry and prose as Alexander Pushkin, Vasily Zhukovsky, Nikolay Karamzin, Vissarion Belinsky, Valery Bryusov and many others were among them. A Russian writer Ivan Bunin being the editor, the famous collection of the great Indian poet Rabindranat Tagor “Gitandzhaly” appeared in Russia.

The 20th century started with bloody and violent revolutions. According to the famous Russian historian, indologist, philosopher, academician Lyudmila Shaposhnikova, at the turn of the 20th century, there were two ways of development for the mankind. The way suggested by the Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov, which would change the human being through cooperation with higher forces, and the way, which was proposed by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche on behalf of the character from his book entitled “Zarathustra”. “Following this path, a man would not cooperate with the Divine Principle”, writes Lyudmila Shaposhnikova, “he has killed the Divine Principle in himself, and, having done so, he wanted himself to become the Supreme in the global empire, building the world in accord with his will and understanding”. The mankind chosed the second way, and then in the bloody and monstrous collision of ideologies and fates the Doctrine of the “Living Ethics” was introduced to help Russia. Elena Ivanovna and Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich became the conductors of the great Doctrine. And this global phenomenon was very closely connected with India. There Nicholas Roerich met one of Mahatmas and he lived in this unusual country for many years and he created a huge philosophical and artistic heritage. We may believe that in the 20th century, due to spiritual connection between India and Russia supported by creativity of our numerous compatriots, thanks to the Roerichs, spiritually connected with this country who created, according to the academician Lyudmila Shaposhnikova, the spiritual and cultural bridge between the two states, the mankind continued its way upstairs in the cosmic evolution. During all their life the Roerichs did everything to reinforce that bridge. The younger son of the Roerichs, the painter Svyatoslav was nicknamed the Singer of India for his works of art. The elder son of Roerichs Yuri was a remarkable orientalist, and he left many interesting and important pieces of work. “India is not a strange country but the true sister of Russia", Nicholas Roerich wrote.

Thus, with the help of fiery creativity the outstanding figures of Russian culture improved the great connection, the great co creation, uniting two spiritually close powers. And this co-creation helps India and Russia to support each other and enter the New Epoch hand by hand.

At the end of D. Posazhennikov’s speech, the author played his violin composition entitled “Musical Fantasy”.

Candidate of Medical Sciences, a member of Perm department of the International League for the Protection of Culture , G.А. Yakovleva spoke about the program dedicated to the anniversary of the Roerich Pact, which was held by this organization in many schools, colleges, institutions of higher education and kindergartens. It was the topic of a talk/interview with kindergarten children during which they meditated upon culture. As a result, a collection book “How to Improve Life and Make It More Spiritual” was issued. The League initiated a tradition of celebration of Culture Day in the Kindergarten. G.А. Yakovleva announced the video-greetings of the kindergarten children and performances of the students of Perm Gymnasium No. 3 - Evgenia Tanacheva and Dasha Shirokikh.

In her video speech Zhenya Tanacheva said:

Dictionaries suggest more than a hundred various definitions of the notion "culture". But they have the common meaning: culture is the basis of human life. Culture is regarded as modes, techniques, results of human life and activity, which distinguish human existence from nature existence and comprise the meaning and significance of the human being.

Culture was born together with the human being. Ancient civilizations, such as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, although they existed thousands of years ago, are known for their cultural values.

Culture existed, exists and will always exist. Why? What shall protect cultural values for?

Culture is the reflection of spiritual and creative activity of the human being throughout his existence. It is the total creativity of the mankind. Why do I need my ancestors’ culture? I am a part of my family. My family is a part of my big country. My country is a part of the huge world. And my ancestors’ culture helps me to see my place and role in this huge world.

Traditional culture is a plentiful source of inspiration and creativity for all times. For thousands of years, it has incorporated the best experience of the mankind, getting rid of whatever was temporary or imperfect. Adherence to the national culture approaches me to eternity, makes me wiser, spiritually stronger, helps me not to get lost in this world. For this very reason, cultural values are called "values". Like any valuable treasure they need protection.

Every year the question of cultural heritage protection becomes more and more pressing. I mean not only the material culture, i.e. historical monuments of architecture, painting and music. Many spiritual cultural values frequently also need protection, including our “great, mighty, truthful and free” Russian language.

Every person should understand his/her responsibility to the past, the present and the future. We create our culture together, that means everyone is responsible for it.

The problem of the preservation cultural heritage has complex character. Politics, law, ethics, determination to preserve the truly valuable cultural heritage we received, assimilate it and pass it over, multiplied, renewed, refined by duty, patriotism, care about the future, to our children – are all of great importance.

In her video speech entitled “Culture” Dasha Shirokikh said:

We have our world, our sky and our life in our hands; we have everything in our hands. The goal of our entire life is to save the world. We are still children, that is why our rights exceed our duties, many opportunities are open for us, as we reveal ourselves to our big world. We are full of talent, power and aspiration, and, I hope, we haven’t succumbed to the stereotypes and laws yet. We were given freedom, so every new generation is supposed to be a little bit better than the previous one. This is the evolution, I suppose.

Yesterday my grandpa was reading his newspaper, as he always does, sitting in his old red armchair. Suddenly he burst laughing and threw the newspaper on the sofa, which was red, too. The title was: “Perm is the cultural capital of Europe”.

This is ridiculous, no doubt. Just look at the children’s playgrounds covered by dirty inscriptions, ugly drunkards and scattered all over bits.

However, even this world has its own supermen. Seriously, why not Perm community would tackle this idea and make Perm the cultural capital? Not everyone, just a small part of people would be enough. It isn’t too difficult.

No-one can make people be cultural persons. However, we can and must teach culture. Cultural “weapon” is the best argument for transformation of the rest. There should be excellent articles in newspapers. Why are gossips still in fashion? Everyday life of every person should be cultural, beautiful and busy, this way it would take more effort to drop the same sweet wrapper in the street of the cultural capital. And a bad word from a recognized genius would be seldom heard. The city culture is the culture of a society, which should be formed through development of people and their inner worlds. While creating a better world, one cannot destroy but only transform… every person, his/her history and the future.

I cannot explain why but I am sure that our city will make a wonderful cultural capital and our generation has enough opportunities to make it happen”.

The President of Roerich Society in Saratov, the head of Center of Cultural Innovations “The Academy of Innovators GLOBELIKS-R”, a lecturer of the Department of Culture Studies of the Saratov Technical University, Valentina Stepanovna Voytenok spoke about the youth program “We will live in a cultural country” Thanks to the program many students got acquainted with the Roerich Pact, in addition there was a contest of innovative projects developed by young people. One of the students of Saratov University carried out a research devoted to the Sign of Trinity, the element of the Banner of Peace, which is the symbol of the Roerich Pact, on the icons of churches in Saratov.

The topic of Culture raised by the young explorers evoke a wide response from the Forum participants. The contemplations were continued by the President of Roerich Society in Prokopyevsk, a member of The International Council of the Roerich Organizations named after S.N. Roerich, Vladimir Alexeevich Vladimirov, he recalled Professor Lokesh Chandra’s speech at the Conference in Delhi. L. Chandra said that Russia is looking for a source of inspiration in India. Vladimir Alexeevich added: It is obvious that the people of India are closely connected with the nature, its spiritual powers. We know that evolution happens due to this convergence. He expressed an opinion that the powerful spiritual and creative core of Russia, which was formed before Peter the Great, in Vladimir Rus, Suzdal Rus and Novgorod Rus N.К. Roerich appealed to this very period in his creative work for a reason, and the aim of social organizations sharing Roerich’s ideas is to help and reveal the spiritual potential of the Russian mentality, which manifests itself in such traits as benevolence, compassion, honesty, kindness, etc. “When this happens, Russia will make a contribution to the whole world, which Lokesh Chandra described” concluded his speech V.A. Vladimirov.

Sheru Babha , an organizer of cultural events in Kullu Roerichs’ estate was the last to deliver his speech at “the Pedagogical talks”. He told us about himself and his understanding of culture. “I am Sheru Babha”, he introduced himself, “I deal with poetry, literature, art, I have been working in a museum as an organizer of cultural events for the last eight years”. Then he explained that he was born and lives in Naggar. His family moved to Naggar from Lahaul. Since childhood he has been interested in museum business. His father and grandfather saw the Roerichs and talked to them. However, those meetings were not numerous, and they even thought that the Roerichs were American delegates because they represented the US Ministry of Agriculture. “I am glad that you are here and maintain the light of Culture. Even when we just speak about it, we interact within the culture frame. Even this sort of communication results in us being responsible. We are responsible for what we say, for the light, which we bring in, we are responsible for the Culture. Continuing the topic, I would like to say a few words about what culture is for me. For me, culture starts in the morning and continues into the night. It is something we come across day after day, because we live this live every day. Culture is understanding, culture is fraternity. In this context of culture we change ourselves, make progress, become more spiritual. One can do it with the help of J. Nehru or N.K. Roerich or other men of culture. The main thing is that there are some steps you ascend to understand its meaning. N.К. Roerich said that “Culture is beauty. We are responsible for our life in beauty”. In conclusion Sheru Babha thanked us for a chance to listen to the speeches of the participants of the “Pedagogical talks”.

A concert prepared by young musicians of the Art College named after E.I. Roerich under the supervision of A. Adamkova was an unusual way to finish “the Pedagogical talks.” It was held late in the evening at the stage of the amphitheater, not far from Institute of Himalayan Studies “Ursvati”. In the peace and quiet of a Himalayan night, surrounded by the Himalayas, young people played various musical instruments and sang popular songs of different countries of the world. Their voices sounded young, fresh and confident. The performance proved to be so catching that the participants left their seats and came onto the stage. They joined the children in yet another horovod dance and sang their favorite songs one more time. D.A. Kutmanalieva gave some presents made by young craftsmen from Kirgiziya.

The star-lit Himalayan evening witnessed the deep and genial connection between India and Russia, which is not affected by distance and borders.

The review has been prepared by L.V. Khomenok



______________

•  The Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace as a Remarkable Phenomenon of the World Culture
Reports and Speeches at the International Social and Scientific Conference.
Delhi – Kullu – Shimla – Kalimpong October 22– November 5 2010


© The International Council of Roerich Organizations by name of S.N. Roerich. http://www.roerichs.com/Lng/en