Nicolas Roerich and get acquainted with an example of such activity

Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), also known as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh was a Russian mystic, painter, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler, and public figure. He created thousands of paintings (many of them are exhibited in well-known museums of the world) and about 30 literary works. Roerich was an author and initiator of an international pact for the protection of artistic and academic institutions and historical sites and a founder of an international movement for the defence of culture. Roerich earned several

nominations for the Nobel Prize.

In 1929, Roerich in collaboration with doctor of international law from Paris University G.G. Chklaver prepared a draft of an agreement dedicated to protection of cultural values (Roerich’s Pact). Coupled with the Pact Roerich proposed a distinctive sign for identification of protected objects – Banner of Peace which was a white cloth containing a red ring and three red circles inscribed in it. The sign symbolized a unity of the past, present and future into the ring of eternity.

Banner of Peace on the painting “Pax cultura”. 1931

The paragraphs of the Pact run as follows:

Roerich’s Pact has large educational value. “A pact for protection of cultural treasures is not only needed as an official body, but as an educational law that, from the very first school days, will educate the young generation with noble ideas of preservation of the whole mankind’s true values”, – wrote N. Roerich. Roerich’s Pact became the first international act especially devoted to protection of cultural values. It was a unique agreement in this field, which was accepted by a part of international community before the second World War. The idea of the Pact was welcomed by R. Rolland, B. Shaw, R. Tagore, A. Einstein, T. Mann, H. Wells.

The Pact was signed in the White House in Washington, on April 15, 1935 with the participation of US President F. Roosevelt. Originally, the document was ratified by 21 countries of the American continent. Later the Pact was validated by 15 countries more. In a few years after the war, Roerich’s Pact played an important role in forming of international law standards and public activity in the field of protection of cultural heritage.