Category: Allgemein

STATEMENT of the International Centre of the Roerichs

02.05.2017 – Statement of the International Centre of the Roerichs concerning the armed seizure of the Lopoukhins estate carried out by the State Museum of Oriental Art on 28 – 29 April 2017 with the support from law enforcement agencies aimed at the annihilation of the non-governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich and the seizure of the Roerichs heritage, belonging to the International Centre of the Roerichs

A short chronicle of events

Around 9 p.m. on 28 April 2017 [Friday] the Director General of the State Museum of Oriental Art (SMOA), Alexander Sedov and his colleagues, accompanied by a specialized unit with no insignia that would allow their identification, made an attempt to seize the non-governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich of the International Centre of the Roerichs and other buildings of the Lopoukhins estate, in which the ICR has been lawfully based since the beginning of the 1990’s, as well as to seize the preserved in the Museum Roerichs heritage. The above said specialized unit with no insignia neutralized and dismissed the Museum security guarding the Lopukhins estate territory, while the Director of SMOA Sedov could present no final court decision that has entered into force since he had decided not to wait for an appellate decision of the Arbitration court on the case of termination of the agreement for free use by the ICR of the Lopukhins estate and the eviction of the ICR therefrom. At that time the concert of the famous Bulgarian musician, Mr. Atanas Kurtev, had just ended and he found himself a witness of the attempted seizure of the non-governmental Museum.

Thanks to the intervention of the local Moscow police and a called by the International Centre of the Roerichs unit of security we managed to prevent the seizure. The SMOA personnel were made to leave the Museum premises, together with the accompanying them persons with no insignia that would indicate their belonging to one of the units of the special law enforcement agencies. The museum was placed under seal and was given to the responsibility of safeguards.

Nevertheless the mentioned above persons without insignia that acted in the interests of SMOA, had already blocked the entrances and exits to all buildings belonging to the Lopukhins estate, as they had placed there their own guards even before the Museum premises were emptied and the buildings placed under safeguarding. By doing so they deprived the ICR personnel access to their working places.

The Director General of the SMOA motivated his actions by saying that he is trying to execute a court decision (that has allegedly entered into force and is final) and to compel the ICR to leave the Lopukhins estate, which has been given to the SMOA in operative management. The ICR management presented documents, which prove our organization’s right to a free use of the estate buildings. Also the ICR management reminded that the court decision, which obliges us to leave the premises and the full text of which is dated 7 April 2017, is not yet final, since the ICR is going to appeal it in the Court of Appeal in accordance with the procedure established by law. The ICR and the SMOA filed reports with the local police on what had happened including motivations for their actions and a request to conduct an inspection.

Representatives of the police convinced us that until completion of the review of the filed reports and in order to ensure the safety of the possession, it would be necessary to place under seal all entrance doors to all buildings belonging to the estate, and that it would be necessary for all people to leave the territory on which would stay only four guards from both ICR and SMOA and an armed unit of the local police, which would ensure that public order is maintained.

Mr. Ivan Zasurskiy, member of the Russian Federation Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights found himself an involuntary witness of the raiding of the non-governmental museum by the State Museum of Oriental Arts, because he had not yet left the building after the Bulgarian Atanas Kurtev’s concert. The events in the ICR aiming at the seizure of the Lopukhins estate and the Roerich heritage also drew the attention of Mr. Mikhail Fedotov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation for Human Rights. On 29 April Mr. Fedotov together with Mr. Andrei Babushkin, member of the Russian Federation Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, came to the ICR, but the SMOA security let them enter the estate territory only after one hour. After having listened to the representatives of the ICR, the SMOA and Mr. Kirill Rybak, the Advisor of the Minister of Culture, Mr. Fedotov left the territory of the Lopukhins estate.

Apparently that kind of turn of events was not included in the SMOA plan, and it relied again on the investigation team taking part in the inquest of the Master Bank case. Around 7 p.m. on 29 April, cars with representatives of the said investigation team, riot police (OMON) and SMOA entered the estate territory. They commenced a search, the necessity of which was motivated with untenable circumstances that do not correspond to facts. This in turn indicates that the action was planned in haste and was formal by nature. The Vice President of International centre of the Roerichs, Mr. Alexander Stetsenko, was not permitted to be present at the search. Seizure of the accounting documentation and drawings of the Roerichs was carried out in the absence of the representatives of the ICR accounting department and responsible curators of the heritage. The investigation team took away from the ICR the keys to the Museum depositary and the Museum halls and handed them over to the SMOA. In the protocol they noted that the Lopukhins estate is being placed under the custody of the Director General of SMOA, Mr. Sedov, together with all property of the ICR and the personal belongings of the ICR personnel. Neither Act of transfer, nor any specification of the transferred property was made. All these facts attest to the real goal of the “investigation” – namely to remove all obstacles, hindering the SMOA from accessing the heritage belonging to ICR. After all, these obstacles were so unexpectedly imposed by the local police and that was not included in the plans of those who organized the seizure. So, the seizure of the Lopukhins estate and the Roerich heritage which belongs to the International Centre of the Roerichs and which is located in the estate was carried out under cover of criminal investigations on the bankruptcy of the Master Bank.

In conclusion of this short chronicle of events it should be mentioned that in the night of 1 May, around 3 a.m. on the territory of the estate the representatives of the SMOA took down the Banner of Peace – the distinctive flag of the Roerich Pact, which is the first international treaty on the protection of cultural property in both peaceful times and at war. It is obvious that for the raiders, who under the cover of darkness broke in to the non-governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich of the ICR, the Banner became a direful reminder of their unlawful acts against the Museum, which bears the name of our great compatriot, who showed to the world the way out of the endless string of wars and armed conflicts – the way of Peace through Culture.

Thus the seizure of the Roerichs heritage by way of raid was accomplished, and let us remind that it started with the letter of the Minister of Culture, Mr. Vladimir Medinskiy to the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin in 2013 (in the letter the minister deceived the President as regards the true will of Svetoslav Roerich concerning the heritage that he donated to Russia); thus was also completed the seizure of the Lopukhins estate, which started in 2015 when the estate was transferred to the SMOA operative management. The Roerich heritage, which was transferred to Russia by Svetoslav Roerich, a citizen of India, for the purpose of creating in Moscow in the Lopukhins estate the non-governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich, is now illegally seized by the SMOA, which according to the will of the owner of the heritage had no right whatsoever to it. The guarantee, which the state gave to Svetoslav Roerich about the safe development of the non-governmental Museum in the Lopukhins estate, was violated. All these attest to a forced termination of the functioning of the International non-governmental organization the International Centre of the Roerichs and its non-governmental Museum, established by Svetoslav Roerich, without fair trial and without the right of defence. The further activity of the ICR to promote Nicholas Roerich’s peacemaking ideas that have won the acknowledgement of the leadership of the country and of the UN and UNESCO are under threat.

Thus the Russian Federation, represented by the Minister of Culture and with the support of the law enforcement agencies, in grave violation of Russian and international law, de facto liquidated the non-governmental Museum denying us the right to defence. In an attempt to excuse the elimination of the NGO, the management of the Ministry of Culture, of the State Museum of Oriental Arts and of the investigative body of the Russian Federation claim, that thereby they are protecting the Roerich heritage against a possible injury caused to it by the International Centre of the Roerichs. With full responsibility the ICR declares that suchlike statements are untrue and have no foundation whatsoever. We assume that they pursue but one goal – to excuse the Russian civil servants’ long-term crimes against the Roerich heritage, which was transferred to Russia by Svetoslav Roerich, as well as against the non-governmental organization created for its safekeeping and promotion on the initiative of Svetoslav Roerich, a great figure in the world culture and citizen of India.

The Roerichs gave the world the Roerich Pact, which laid the foundation of the modern legal system for the protection of the world cultural heritage and the functioning of UNESCO. The ICR appeals to the Russian and international public, to the UN, UNESCO and everyone, who is not indifferent to the destiny of the great cultural heritage of the Roerichs, to establish an international public commission in order to investigate this crime, to revive the violated guarantees of the state to Svetoslav Roerich as well as to restore the rights of the International Centre of the Roerichs to the heritage, donated to it by Svetoslav Roerich.

Estonian Roerich Society In response to the statement of A.P. Losyukov, the president of the National Roerich Committee of 03.27.2017

Public-Government cooperation, which the National Roerich Committee has so ardently stated, could have developed from the very beginning – from the time of the emergence of the Soviet Roerich Foundation (SRF), but it did not work out, and not through the fault of the SFR. The state machine’s flurry, its sluggishness and formal approach on the part of officials of various levels and, possibly, the interests of the “shadow” participants led to the fact that at the initial stage the state did not start the necessary measures to restore the Lopukhin’s estate (and the whole complex of buildings), and simply ignored the execution of their own promises. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation only worsened, and although Russia assumed the obligations of the USSR, the new bureaucracy considered it possible not to fulfill obligations towards a public organization. Chaos, which reigned in the expanses of the former Union, made it almost impossible for the planned formation of the financial base for the museum. At this difficult time, nothing has been done by the state to establish the Center, and moreover, attempts have begun to destroy the newly created public organization. Neither the influential members of the board of the SRF, nor the public that began to form around the SRF, could reach the authorities. Letters to various instances, meetings with officials of different levels – all this rested against a deaf bureaucratic wall.

Creation of the International Center of Roerich (ICR) based on the SRF was a natural necessity, because The Soviet Union, after the well-known events of August 1991, ceased to exist. Disputes that the ICR is not a legal successor to the SRF have no legal validity. This is clear to every sensible person who is familiar with the documents and the situation, but it is not clear to the officials of the Ministry of Culture. Apparently, their passionate desire to take possession of the heritage overshadowed common sense.

ICR is accused of almost criminal conduct of cases, leaving this accusation at the level of sensations that arose based on personal dislike towards some of the Center’s employees. Those who did not oversleep 90th years in Russia, could say with certainty that the country was feverish, but the ICR in those years was a rare oasis of lawful conduct of affairs, which is confirmed by numerous inspections. This fact already worried some of the power authorities at that time. They could not catch the staff and “hang” on it at least some criminal case, though apparently, someone wanted to do it. Many specialists in the field of economics came to work in the Fund.  From the very beginning they tried to create enterprises that could provide, as L. Shaposhnikova said, the “financial pillow” for the Fund. These people had the appropriate diplomas, experience in other jobs, and a sincere aspiration, but the environment in the country has changed so much that their experience has failed in life. The state at that time was engaged in privatization, and therefore the officials did not care about public organizations. Patronage, which then only revived, became a panacea for economic ills for the ICR. Recall that in those years B. Bulochnik was all respected businessman and patron of art, who saved from the “abyss of free business”, not only the ICR. Then many, now indignant, considered it an honor to shake hands with Boris Ilyich, but times change and so do preferences too. However, it was Boris Ilyich, who took on his shoulders what the state promised to do, thereby taking his honorable place in the history of the ICR along with people like Yu. Vorontsov and L. Shaposhnikova.

Today the National Committee hopes that with the arrival of state structures, namely the Ministry of Culture and the Museum of the East, there will be an idyll for the financial part! Ostensibly, the Legacy will be in the frame of legality, and the people’s possessions will last for centuries, but listening to high-profile criminal cases among officials of different ranks, including from the Ministry of Culture, it’s hard to believe! Moreover, the confidence grows stronger precisely in the reverse that pictures, archives and other national property can “float away” to private collections, where they will please the eyes of a very narrow circle of admirers of art. After the public museum was unceremoniously stormed on March 7-8, and the employees were detained for 20 hours without any reason, we realize that the people, who did it, will not stop at nothing. They can organize such “public support of the government”, which the government simply won’t be able to refuse! The vicious circle, referred to in the statement of the National Committee, thus tears up state authorities, “cleansing society” with the help of forceful methods and barbaric seizure of paintings, actual looting. Prediction of the Public Chamber that the confrontation between the ICR and state structures will lead to destructive and unpredictable consequences is beginning to come true. In fact, the confrontation is very peculiar, since the ICR simply wanted the state to observe its own constitution and fulfill its promises.

The conversation about the publicity of the investigation and careful attitude to cultural values looks like, at least, a naive dream of the public while at the inquisition trial. The central television channels already put on the fool’s caps of sectarians and occultists on the ICR employees, and cynically talked about “not properly” keeping the heritage!

Mr. Losyukov is trying to convince the not very well-informed public that, under L.V. Shaposhnikova, the relationship between the state and the ICR was almost perfect, and only after her departure the ICR deteriorated sharply. Who will read the numerous articles of Lyudmila Vasilyevna (L.V.) and the documents of those years, will understand that the battle with bureaucratic arbitrariness has been conducted since the very appearance of the SRF! But after the departure of such a great cultural figure, as was L.V. Shaposhnikova, the ICR began to experience even greater difficulties, which were created by the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and the Museum of the East. It’s good that such a creative person as L.V.Shaposhnikova, at one time agreed to put this enormous burden on herself. Her services to the Fatherland were already enough to enter the history of Russia’s culture, and she could quietly retire in creative work.

The statement of the National Committee that under the wing of the Museum of the East will begin some kind of “special” scientific work with the Roerichs’ heritage and that the true, real experts will also be admitted to the materials of the Great Russian thinkers also causes mixed feelings. Why, to this very moment, these “great Roerichs experts” did not please the public with their works? Those works that came out of the pen of such experts as Rosov, and work with the archives of D. Popov, can only convince us of the opposite! With the arrival to ICR of such personalities the level of scientific work will fall, and we will remember the works of Shaposhnikova as rare pearls on the research field. Regarding the “non-professionalism” of the staff of the ICR, rumors were spread from the very beginning, even though all employees had a sufficiently high qualification. Those rumors spoiled the picture of perception and did not suggest opponents the confidence in the ICR.

Particularly interesting is the part of the statement of Mr. Losyukov, where he writes about the return of the Lopukhins estate to those people, representatives of the Russian public, who honestly and unselfishly worked on the restoration of the estate. To begin with, I would like to see the lists of these disinterested people, and then perhaps, much will be cleared up. So far, officials are trying to expel from the buildings of the manor exactly those people, who have been unselfishly working on its restoration for a quarter of a century! It was the staff of the ICR and, of course, many other representatives of the world community, who understood that the Roerich heritage is a national treasure of Russia.

Another topic touched upon in the committee’s statement is the creation of the public Institute of the Roerichs. The idea is beautiful and we can wish this institution all the prosperity, but the institute will not be the organization that was planned and created by S.N. Roerich! The only organization he created during his life in those difficult years for Russia and whose honorary member he was until the end of his life, was the ICR. It is surprising why it is impossible to continue and develop a research of the heritage based on ICR, but instead it is necessary to break and create a something new. There is no logic in these actions, but there is obvious waste of human and other resources.

When in 1989 the chairman of our society K.A. Molchanova and I, A. Miller, met with S. N. Roerich, he told us about his plans – the creation of a public organization, which he will transfer the rights to dispose of the heritage to, and he also introduced L.V. Shaposhnikova as a person who will fulfill his will. K.A. Molchanova corresponded with the Roerich family for many years, therefore this decision of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich was not an unexpected step for our society (the Estonian Roerich Society). But apparently, it was a surprise for the Ministry of Culture.

National committee speaks about the unity of the Roerich family’s heritage and that, as if at the request of S.N. Roerich, it should be collected in a single museum. But K.A. Molchanova, and I know a different desire of S.N. Roerich. It was confirmed to us at a personal meeting with S.N. Roerich in November 1989, that paintings, which were legally located in other museums, should remain there, but the paintings, which were at that time transferred to Russia and part of the collection, which was transferred by the Ministry of Culture for temporary storage in the Museum of the East – 288 paintings of the Roerichs, should be located in the museum that was created by S. N. Roerich, which is ICR. It seems strange that the will of the owner, which was legally certified, was not executed! The Museum of the East refused to transfer the collection of 288 paintings of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich, with a justification of possible loss of the collection, while not motivating these fears. Then, in circles close to the Museum of the East, rumors began about the incapacity of S.N. Roerich, that he allegedly did not understand the situation in Russia. R.B. Rybakov entered into an open confrontation with L.V.Shaposhnikova, which subsequently further complicated the relationship between the ICR and state officials.

Today, the public dreams of a strong and humane state with which it would be possible to cooperate and which would fulfill its obligations to the people, but considering the recent events of March 7-8, 2017, when the public museum named after N.K. Roerich was looted, and thus the will of S.N. Roerich was violated, these times will not come soon.

Ministry uses swastika against the Roerichs

2017/02/09 – In March 2013, viewers of Russia saw the movie “Call of cosmic evolution”, created by the International Center of the Roerichs. Film screenings were held in 17 countries, including the United Nations Headquarters in New York, European UN offices in Switzerland and Austria, as well as at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The movie was seen by the audience of the largest cities in Europe, Latin America, India and the United States. 

However, in August 2016, the Ministry of Culture suddenly withdrew from the Centre of the Roerichs the license for rolling the film. According to the Ministry, the movie is subject to a ban, as it contains pictures of Nazi swastika. In the history of domestic cinematography there was not such an incident that a fragment, dedicated to the victory of the Soviet people in World War II, was interpreted as propaganda of Nazi symbols by the Ministry of Culture. 

According to experts, this is a dangerous and a very bad precedent. In this approach, as Nazi propaganda can be considered absolutely any movie condemning Nazism and filmed in the USSR or in any other country.