English
Русский
On March 21, 2024, as part of the exhibition “The Universe of the Master”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian artist, thinker, traveler and public figure Nicholas Roerich, a round table was held at the Russian House in Delhi. It was organized by the International Center of the Roerichs, the Embassy Russian Federation in the Republic of India, Russian House in New Delhi, Indian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, National Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Russia, International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations and the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly.
Welcoming the participants, Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Andrei Belyaninov emphasized the relevance of educational activities and the importance of introducing young people from different countries to the study of world cultural heritage.
Welcoming words were also delivered by: Yulia Aryaeva, Cultural Advisor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India; Oleg Osipov, Head of the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Republic of India; Professor Charanjit Singh, President of the Indian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature.
In the first part of the Round Table, moderated by Stanislav Korolev, Director of the National Center for Public Diplomacy of the SCO in Russia, Deputy Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, speeches were made on the significance of Nicholas Roerich's legacy in world culture, science, philosophy and social activities.
The speakers emphasized the great contribution of the entire Roerich family to the development of Indian-Russian relations, their role in the rapprochement between East and West, the importance of their multifaceted activities for the cultural space and the future of the whole world. Particular attention was paid to the interaction of Nicholas Roerich with outstanding figures of India: Rabindranath Tagore, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and many others. Issues of practical application of the behests of Nicholas Roerich and the protection of the cultural heritage of peoples in modern conditions have become the subject of special discussion.
The following speakers represented the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly: Deputy Head of the General Secretariat Larisa Trunina; General Director of “White Dews”, Assembly expert Svetlana Serdyukova; Member of the Supreme Advisory Council Dalbir Singh; Head of the Department of Spiritual Culture Irina Polyakova; Chairman of the cooperative of civil interaction "Osnova", member of the Council for Spiritual Culture Svetozar Darnev.
In the second part of the Round Table, professors and graduate students from Delhi University and the Center for Russian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University presented their research. The moderator was Sonu Saini, Chairman of the Union of Russian Translators of India. The presentations were devoted to the issues of studying the heritage of the Roerichs by Indian students and methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language based on the literary and visual works of Nicholas Roerich.
The participants in the dialogue, representatives of Russia and India, were united by genuine interest, love and admiration for the life and work of Nicholas Roerich, and the desire to deeply comprehend them. The speakers covered a variety of issues of the Master's multifaceted artistic and philosophical heritage.
Celebrating the anniversary of the outstanding educator, the Round Table participants emphasized the relevance of Roerich’s understanding of culture for strengthening spirituality as a unifying basis for cooperation, mutual understanding between peoples, and the preservation of life and cultural diversity in the Eurasian space.
The round table “The Legacy of Nicholas Roerich - a cultural bridge between Russia and India” became an obvious and genuine expression of the thought expressed by Roerich about the “beauty of the Indo-Russian magnet.” The consonance shown by the participants of the event speaks of strong cordial ties between our countries, the unity of searches and new opportunities that can be realized for the benefit of Culture.
At the end, the participants viewed the exhibition “The Universe of the Master,” which presented 174 photographs from the Roerich archive, several dozen banners reflecting the main milestones of Nicholas Roerich’s creative path, and more than 20 reproductions of his paintings on canvas.
