George Roerich

Yuri Nikolayevich Roerich (1902 – 1960)

George Roerich is one of major orientalists, linguists, and encyclopedists of the 20th century whose name is known in many countries of the world. He spoke fluently more than 30 European and Asian languages and dialects, was a brilliant expert in the culture of the East, its religion and philosophy, and represented that synthetic trend in Oriental Studies in which Russia could justly take pride.

George Roerich was born in the village of Okoulovka of the Novgorod Province, on August 16, 1902. His childhood and adolescence passed in Saint-Petersburg. From the yearly age, the boy took interest in history and military science. Helena Roerich wrote in her letters: “The elder one showed love for history and tin soldiers. He had thousands of them. His passion for the art of war has survived until now. Strategy is his pet subject. By the way, this talent is inborn, and he is very proud of his ancestor – field-marshal Mikhail Golenischev-Kutuzov, the hero of the war of 1812”[1].

G. Roerich. In the castle. 1917 – 1918

At the age of 15, George Roerich already started studying Egyptology with famous scientist-Egiptologist B. Tourayev, and the Mongolian language and the history of Mongols with A. Roudnev.

Young Roerich’s paintings and graphics performed in his school years testify to the broadness of his interests and his versatile talents, they show George’s artistic gift as well.

Having finished the Karl May Gymnasium, he entered the Indian and Iranian Department of the Oriental Languages School under the London University. His outstanding abilities for languages were so obvious that he was introduced as the best Sanskrit student to the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs who came to visit the University.

In September of 1920, George Roerich together with his parents left for the USA. There he entered the Harvard University, the Indian Philology Department, at the same time he took up the Pali language and the Chinese language. His purposefulness was striking: at the age of 18 he was already a formed Orientalist having his own subject and his own trend in science.

	G. Roerich. Tibetan painting. ICR publication, 2002

After graduation from the Harvard University with Bachelor and Master degrees, George Roerich continued his education in France, in the School of Oriental Languages under the Paris University. He worked for a year at the Middle-Asian and Mongolian and Tibetan Departments of this University, and at, the same time, studied at the Military Department and Department of Law and Economy. In 1923, G. Roerich graduated from the Paris University and got the degree of Master of Indian Philology.

At the age of 21, George Roerich already started independent scientific and research work. From that time, all his further scientific activities were penetrated with high humanist aspirations.

In 1923, the Roerichs family moved to India. There, the first stage of the Central Asian expedition organized by N. Roerich started. After a short in terms of time, but very tight and long in terms of distance travel around India (December of 1923), in 1924, George Roerich together with his family undertook small expeditions around Sikkim – a country of snowy giants and ancient monasteries – and Bhutan, the territory in the Eastern Himalayas. These travels result was a brilliant monograph – “Tibetan Painting” (Paris, 1925). This scientific study completed by George Roerich at the age of 23 is unique, as no other similar works were written either at that time or nowadays. Whole decades later, the modern re-edition of this study undertaken by the International Center of the Roerichs in 2002, would be highly appreciated by Dalai-Lama XIV.

H. and G. Roerich during the Central- Asian expedition. 1927 – 1928

From 1925 to 1928, George Roerich participated in the main stage of the Central Asian expedition. George Roerich, despite his young age, was entrusted to take care of the expedition security. There his knowledge of the military science was more than useful. Not once George Roerich’s tactical skills and personal courage saved the caravan. Besides, he acted as a translator, perfectly speaking the Mongolian and Tibetan languages, and a number of Central Asian dialects. This allowed to communicate with the local population and was of inestimable scientific use. It will not be exaggeration to say that without George Roerich, solution of many set forth before the Central Asian expedition tasks would not be possible.

	Little duck. “Beast Style”. Bronze from the Roerich family collection

This unique expedition achievements got reflection in G. Roerich’s monograph “Along the Paths of Middle Asia” (London, 1931) which immediately placed the young researcher in the rank of scientists-pioneers of Asia.

George Roerich described discovery of menhirs, cromlechs, and stone graves during the Central Asian expedition in his study “Beast Style Among Nomads of North Tibet”. (Prague, 1930) which became a significant event in the world science. L. Goumilev wrote: “ George Roerich’s study of the “beast style” in Tibet, which long ago became a bibliographic rarity, is quoted by all historians of the Scythian and Sarmat art as a composition that made an epoch in science”[2].

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