On July 26, 2016 in the ancient Krishna Temple perched atop a hill rising above the village of Naggar and the Roerich Estate a puja was conducted on the occasion of Mrs. Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova’s 90th birth anniversary.
Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova (1926–2015) was a renowned Russian historian, oriental scholar, major philosopher, outstanding scholar and promoter of the Roerichs’ creative heritage, writer, traveler and public figure.
For her enormous contribution to science and culture she was decorated with the following state honours: The Order of Friendship (2006) for her great contribution to museum science and preservation of cultural heritage; The Order of Merit (Fourth Class) (2011); Various honorary titles and degrees. Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova was given the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for the outstanding contribution to the strengthening of Indo-Russian Friendship (1967) and many other international awards. She was Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after Tsiolkovsky, Honorary Doctor of Sofia University, Honorary Doctor of Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Honorary Doctor of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, and Honoured Art Worker of Russia.
The last 26 years of her life were entirely devoted to the non-governmental museum named after Nicholas Roerich she created in Moscow in accordance with the will of Svetoslav Roerich, of which she was a continuous Director General, the first Vice President of the International Centre of the Roerichs (ICR), the president of the Helena Roerich Charitable Fund, and the chief editor of its magazine "Culture and Time."
26.07.2016
Puja in honor of Mrs. Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova’s 90th birth anniversary
Mrs. Lyudmila Shaposhnikova authored 35 books and articles on Indian culture, the scientific and philosophical legacy of the Roerichs and other outstanding philosophers, scholars and culture figures. She is one of the founders of the Roerich Studies – the completely new school of historical and cultural research in the artistic, scientific and philosophical legacy of the Roerich family.
According to the Hindu tradition, as a mark of respect the forehead of the deceased is decorated with a double dot (tika): red - made of turmeric and black - made of the ashes of the sacred herbs offered during the fire ceremony in her honour.
In the light of new cosmic thinking, Mrs. Lyudmila Shaposhnikova reflects in her writings on the evolutionary role of the Roerichs and concludes that they acted as the messengers of cosmic evolution revealing its laws to mankind.
Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova was a life trustee of the International Roerich Memorial Trust (Naggar) and was actively involved in its activities. She had a great dream to make the Roerich Estate an International Center of Art and Culture.
