08.07.2021

Dedicated to the Blessed Memory of Sri Virbhadra Singh

India is paying last respects to its esteemed son Sri Virbhadra Singh — the gifted leader who served faithfully to Himachal Pradesh and the whole country for almost sixty years. He quit this life in early morning 8th of July of this year at the age of 87. India will remember him as sophisticated politician and great administrator, a person with strong spirit and high allegiance who always paid heed to needs of people. 

Being a six-time Himachal Chief Minister Mr. Virbhadra Singh also was a President of International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT). He deeply understood importance of philosophical and creative heritage of the Roerichs that unites people of Russia and India and he was cordially interested in development of the IRMT and transforming the Roerichs family Estate in Naggar into a museum of international level in accordance with a will of Svetoslav Roerich and his wife Devika Rani. 

In 2012 thanks to support of Sri Virbhadra Singh the Agreement of cooperation between International Roerich Memorial Trust and International Centre of the Roerichs, Moscow was signed. The aim of the cooperation is facilitation from the ICR’s side in developing comprehensive potential of the Roerichs Estate in Naggar as a museum, scientific and art complex, a center of Russian-Indian friendship and cultural interaction. 

Mr. Virbhadra Singh espoused peace making ideas of the Roerichs, their vision of Culture as one of the main foundations of human evolution. In July 2014 the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurated an exhibition of International Centre of the Roerichs “The Roerich Pact. History and Modernity.” In his welcome speech he made a point of importance of the Roerich Pact for preserving treasures of world culture and covered history of the Roerich Pact in India expressing unaffected joy and pride in the fact that the route of the ICR exhibition in India started on the ancient land of Himachal Pradesh at the very heart of Himalayas.

The teams of International Roerich Memorial Trust and International Centre of the Roerichs render homage to the departed leader and express sincere condolences to his family and friends. We wish Sri Virbhadra Singh further path of height and light!