To the Heart of Asia: Central Asian Expedition of N.K. Roerich

"Thanks to the brilliant expedition of Nikolay Roerich it has been possible to unite in one and single such distant countries as, Siberia and Tibet, Russia and Mongolia. And this great cross which he drew on the map of our country and adjoining to it areas of Central Asia shows that these people, these nations connected with zonal landscapes and historical collisions share the general fate and future which will be open to the next generations", L.N. Gumilyov, the Russian historian wrote.

The Central Asian expedition was one of the largest in the XX-th century. Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich, the artist, scientist, oriental researcher, his spouse, Elena Ivanovna Roerich, philosopher and writer, their eldest son, scientist of oriental studies, linguist, Yuri Nikolayevich Roerich had become the organizers and constant participants of the expedition.

The expedition caravan leaving India (Sikkim) passed through China, Russia (entering Moscow), Siberia, Altay, Mongolia, Tibet and again returned to India. Extremely extensive itinerary of the expedition passed the difficult of access, practically uninvestigated regions of Central Asia and Himalaya. Totally of approximately 25 thousand kilometers were passed, 35 alpine mountain passes were surmounted, Takla Makan, and Gobi deserts as well. For the first time tens of mountain peaks and passes were marked and specified on a map.

During the expedition, investigations in history, archeology, ethnography, history of arts and religion, geography and botanic, ornithology and other science tendencies had been made. The enormous authentic material had been collected. Right after the expedition two books of N.K. Roerich dairies "Altay – Himalayas" and "Heart of Asia" had been published. In the course of the expedition and after the artist painted more than semi thousand picturesque paintings including series of pictures as "Banners of East", "His country", "Maitreya", "Himalayas". The creative art works of N.K. Roerich had a characteristic peculiarity: the precision of scientific approach in his pictures harmonize with a master′s bright original vividness of paintings.

Direct observations of the witness underlay the research work of Yu.N. Roerich such as follows: "The Tibet paintings" (1925), "On the paths of Middle Asia" (1931). Yuri Nikolayevich provided the expedition safety, thanks to his tactical skills and his personal courage he had rescued the caravan not a single time. In addition, he acted as the interpreter of the expedition since he had been well mastering the Tibet and Mongol languages, and a number of the Central-Asian dialects as well. In 1930 his book "Wild animal style of the North Tibet nomads", such articles as: "The problems of Tibet archeology", "To the study of Kalachakra" (1932) were published. In 1935-39 Yu.N. Roerich wrote his fundamental work of three volumes "The history of Central Asia" which gives the overall picture of the political, economic, cultural development of Turkic, Mongol and Tibet people from the ancient times up to XIV c. Perfectly mastering Sanskrit he collected the unique linguistic material for "The Tibet-Russian-English dictionary with Sanskrit parallels" (presently 10 volumes of the dictionary are published).

Elena Ivanovna Roerich continued the glorious tradition of the Russian women, the researchers of Central Asia, i.e. – the traveler and writer H.P. Blavatskaya, the ethnographer A.V. Potanina, the botanist, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences O.A. Fedchenko. Heavy transitions on the way of the expedition, permanent threat of sudden assaults, obstacles made by the British authorities which lead the expedition nearly to death on the Tibet plateau of Chantang, all these required endurance and courage. Thus, Elena Ivanovna showed the best example of overcoming of all obstacles. Besides the everyday expeditionary work she wrote several books as: "Buddhism basics" (1926), "Community" (1927) from Agni Yoga series.

Upon the completion of the expedition in July 1928 the Roerichs settled in Kullu valley, the Western Himalayas. Here N.K. Roerich established the Himalayas Research Institute "Urusvati". The institute had been conducting all-embracing researches in the most topical issues of natural and humanitarian sciences in Himalayan mountain conditions. The work of the Institute consisted of studying cosmic radiation (emanations), Tibetan pharmacopeia, archeology of adjacent areas with a very ancient cultural tradition, recording the rarest dialects and studying diversity of flora and fauna. The all-embracing approach in the researches became the visit card of this vast interdisciplined project. In its activities the ancient knowledge combine with the modernist scientific discoveries. The worldwide scientists and Indian scientists such as: physician Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman, linguist Sunniti Kumar Chatterdji, philosopher Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, poet and thinker Rabindranath Tagore were cooperating with the Institute.

The scientists were attracted to the Institute not only by the unique Himalaya area, but also those research methods, i.e. a new cognition methodology system was the basis which includes traditional methods of empiric sciences, and meth-scientific approaches closely connected with spiritual potential of a researcher. The prominent feature of the work was the constant mobility, regular expeditions where the Institute staff and correspondents were involved. The Institute published the collections of scientific works disseminating them all over the world. The activity of the Institute was stopped halted by the World War II events, so the collections and archives had to be conserved. Currently a good deal of efforts have been made by the International Roerich Trust (Naggar, Kullu), however, it is not sufficient to restore "Urusvati", so it is expecting its turn.

Starting for a long-term expedition to Asia the Roerichs planned to return to the Motherland. But N.K. and H.I. Roerichs had not received the entry permission into the USSR. Only eldest son Yury could return to Russia where in 1957-1960 he has revived the Russian school of oriental studies, founded a domestic school of Tibetan studies, brought up a good deal of disciples (followers). Svetoslav Roerich, the youngest son, the well-known artist fulfilling the custodian mission of the family heritage was the citizen of India. The Soviet government refused his offers on cooperation

The grandiose Central-Asian expedition had been a little known up to 1990. Among scientists there was academician A.P. Okladnikov, a researcher of the Roerichs heritage P.F. Belikov, L.V. Shaposhnikova who really evaluated the Roerich′s contribution into the world culture.

The historian, scientist of Indian studies, the writer L.V. Shaposhnikova has repeated a route of expedition of Roerichs, except for its Chinese site inaccessible in the conditions of that time. The direct contiguity with geocultural space of the regions covered by the Roerichs, concentration on the accents made by them, her personal courage, all the above mentioned made L.V. Shaposhnikova′s researches the bright page of the Russian science. The creative results of the expedition have been the articles, books and the vast series of photographs. S.N. Roerich trusted foundation of the non-State Museum-Center named after N.K. Roerich in Moscow and in 1991 he handed down the parents′ heritage to her as a person empowered to act for him. Since that time L.V. Shaposhnikova is the permanent director of the museum. Her activity is marked by the J. Nehru award, People′s Friendship order, Cultural Heritage European Union Award (2010).

The research works on the way of the expedition route let N.K. Roerich identify the number of historic regularities which he declared as the scientific supposition. Let us call some of them.

The great peoples′ moving (migration) in the ancient times was taking place from East to West: from Himalayas to the Siberian and European plains. Therefore, the Himalayan area saved the unique ethno cultural diversity. Asia has been the cradle of humanity. N.K. Roerich connected the future with this area nevertheless the reality of 1920-s had not seemed to as though. In the spiritual heritage of Asia, art, philosophy and scientific achievements "the inspired hieroglyph" sparkled which would be the basis of future, - N.K. Roerich marked not once.

The alive history of people kept the traces of ancient migrations which the expedition participants had been observing. N.K.Roerich pointed out a genetic relation of the people of the Central Asia (Mongolia, Tibet) with tribes of Indians of America. Petroglyphs on rocks of Siberia, Ladakha, Caucasus represented the same mountain goats and deer which he met on stones of the North America. "By means of these paintings they spread their hands to each other" [1]. In the course of Central-Asian expedition a new attitude to nomads had been grown up. Europe centered concept of the Western history gave the secondary role to nomads. The Roerichs, as well as their contemporaries – G.V. Vernadsky, N.S. Trubetskoy, P.N. Savitsky Eurasia philosophers, they consider nomads "the dynamic element" of history. The prompt moving of nomads through the gigantic expanses of the continent increased "exchange" processes renovating falling into decay early agricultural civilizations. During the expedition

N.K. Roerich wrote down: "Powerful nomad empires appear and disappear in non-existence without having left after themselves neither majestic monuments, nor written certificates and literary texts. We learn about them according to ineffaceable imprint which they had left passing through the neighboring countries. Until recently the history of nomadic cultures was for us as the closed book, and its dazzling shine only nonplused scientists. <…> Before our eyes there is a new branch of the historical science the tasks of which is finding the laws studying the origin of nomad states, and studying antiquities of the great forgotten past" [2].

On the way of the expedition there had been the expanses of Russia, this gigantic partition between east and west. "You know – underlined N.K. Roerich that the Great plain of Russia and Siberia after prehistoric epoch had been the arena for the procession of all migrating peoples. <….> From the depths of Asia infinite quantity of tribes and clans passed along the Russian plains. Then they made their way through to the ocean these wanderers ending their way through centuries again they turned to Russia. And again they brought renown forms of their life" [3]. Indian doctrine of past, its folk art, cultural traditions allowed N.K. Roerich made conclusions of the ancient Slavic and Indian ties: "The great Indian magnet attracts hearts of Russians. Truthfully "Altay - Himalayas" – are two magnets, two balances, two bases. <…> Heart gives message to other heart" [4].

In her research works L.V. Shaposhnikova gives the wide survey of the achievements and results of the Central Asian expedition "The expedition passed through many countries. Before N.K. Roerich′s eyes there had been the grandiose picture of original cultures. <…> He had searched for what united different nations and cultures but not what separated them. Ancient unity going though separation should have been ended up with high unity in future. Each culture will bring in to this unity their own unique gifts. Diversity of colours, forms, the own way of thinking and perception of the world. Richness of the spirit. He does not appoint the time of that future. But in the past and present where he had observed he was searching for it" [5].

More than eighty years ago the route of the Central Asian expedition of Roerichs connected Russia, India and Central Asian countries. Currently, when we are observing the active integration of our countries it is necessary to express the gratitude to those who have been involved into the formation of this process long before its such evident manifestation the Roerichs made the huge contribution to this process as well as their Central Asian expedition.

In 2008 the world cultural society marked the 80-th anniversary of the expedition. That year in the International Roerichs Centre the first international scientific conference dedicated to the expedition was held which opened the new horizons of researches.

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Literature

1. Рерих Н.К. Алтай – Гималаи. М., 2004. С. 91.
2. Рерих Ю.Н. По тропам Срединной Азии. Самара, 1994. С. 109.
3. Рерих Н.К. Одеяние духа // Рерих Н.К. Восток-Запад. М, 1994. C. 26.
4. Рерих Н.К. Из литературного наследия. М., 1974. С. 268-269.

5. Шапошникова Л.В. Великое путешествие. В 3 кн. Кн. 1: Мастер. М., 1998. С. 316.

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• 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