30.01.2021

Memory Day of Svetoslav Roerich 

January 30th – Memory Day of Svetoslav Roerich (23.10.1904 – 30.01.1993), the younger son of Nicholas and Helena Roerich. Messenger of Beauty, a wonderful artist, philosopher, scientist, public figure, Sv.Roerich was honored with governmental awards, including the highest civil order of India “Padma Bhushan”, the Soviet order “Friendship of Peoples” and the order “Madar Cavalryman” established by the State Council of Bulgaria.

The Memory Day of Svetoslav Roerich on 30th January, according to the tradition, was marked in the IRMT by Hindu Puja, which was conducted in the Roerichs' Estate by a respected priest from the Krishna Temple. Next to the memorial four-trunk pine tree, where stone images of the Gods and Rishis of the Kullu valley from the collection of the Roerich family are collected, Pujari Shri Dev Acharya offered heartfelt prayers to the Higher Powers and lit a sacred fire in memory of Svetoslav Roerich - an outstanding artist, thinker, public figure, youngest son of Nicholas and Helena Roerichs, who, together with his parents and elder brother, spent about 20 years of his life here in this Estate in Naggar. 

“Let us strive for the Beauty” – this phrase which Svetoslav Roerich kept constantly saying was filled for him with deepest sense. “Our internal striving for something more perfect, more beautiful, he used to say, – is great internal power which is changing us and changing our life as well. Without this internal flame, a human being cannot wake up concealed energies in themselves and cannot rise to a higher level of knowledge and experience”. Svetoslav Roerich himself was a messenger of Beauty and its creator. The wonderful world of his paintings is beautiful and unique. Portraits, landscapes, genre and epic canvases, paintings with philosophic contents – all the artist’s pieces carry to people love and beauty, awake hope and happiness, conquer with purity and profound wisdom.

For outstanding achievements in the field of culture, and for his contribution to the cause of peace, Svetoslav Roerich was honored with governmental awards from various countries, including the highest civil order of India “Padma Bhushan”, the Soviet order “Friendship of Peoples” and the order “Madar Cavalryman” established by the State Council of Bulgaria. Svetoslav Roerich was also a winner of the Jawaharlal Nehru’s International Award; he was holder of the Bulgarian Order of Kirill and Methody as well as of the title of Honorary Doctor of the Velikotyrnovo University of Bulgaria. The great painter was also Academician of the Indian Academy of Fine Arts and Honorary Member of the USSR Academy of Arts. However, Svetoslav Roerich considered the award established by the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York to be the most outstanding award in his life, since the award diploma had been signed by Nicholas Roerich himself.

Together with his wife, beautiful Indian film star Devika Rani, Rabindranath Tagore’s grandniece, Svetoslav Roerich not once came to his Motherland with exhibitions of paintings, his own and his father’s. Svetoslav Roerich conquered with his simplicity, deep knowledge, and wisdom of the heart. Always calm, friendly, considerate, he spread happiness and light around him. “The true way of a human being is developing themselves…” the artist said in one of conversations. “We should try to teach each other less. The most important thing is self-improvement… One should start with alteration of oneself. This is the basis for everything. Then we shall be able to change ourselves and help the others.”

In one of the interviews Svetoslav Roerich’s said: “We want to make a happier life. Is it so? What is that happier life? We see that, undoubtedly, we must remember about spiritual elements… Unfortunately, we forget from where we have come out, where we are going, what we are. We forget that we have come out of eternity. Eternity is around us… Out of Infinity and Eternity. They are laid in each of us. We are carrying them, these are great sensations. Unfortunately, we very often forget about it. Now – how to do it (to make a happier life)? Everything is simple, extremely simple! Only we must remember every day that today we want to do something better than we did yesterday. So that it will be at least a little bit better. This wish to move forward is everything!.. That is why I am saying that everything is very simple…”