The ICR exhibition «The Roerich Pact. The Past and the Present» will be opened at UNESCO office in Paris
On April 2, 2012 the Gala opening of the ICR exhibition «The Roerich Pact. The Past and the Present» will take place at the UNESCO head-quarters in Paris. The exhibition is organised by the Permanent Delegations of Russia and India with UNESCO in cooperation with the International Centre of the Roerichs (Russia) with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation and UNESCO.
The exhibition is dedicated to the oeuvre and ideological heritage of Nicholas Roerich, the illustrious Russian artist, scientist, thinker, humanist, writer, traveller, and public activist.
Nicholas Roerich was assigned a special place in the history of the world culture. At the beginning of the last century N. Roerich initiated the international movement for protection of cultural property. As a result the international Treaty for Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments widely known as the Roerich Pact was signed.
The exhibition in Paris is timed to the 80th anniversary of the 2nd International Conference for the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace, that was held in Bruges (Belgium) and played a crucial role in supporting the Roerich Pact as an international legal act for the protection of the world cultural heritage.
The exposition includes more than 100 unique archive documents from the International Centre of the Roerichs funds, as well as the historical photos dedicated to the Roerich Pact foundation. Apart from reproductions of paintings by N. Roerich reflecting ideas of cultural heritage conservation, the exhibition also includes modern photographs indicating that in the last decades cultural heritage of many nations was lost irreparably during the Second World War and other armed conflicts.
A part of the exposition will be devoted to the history of the Banner of Peace — a distinctive symbol of the Pact that symbolizes the unity of the past, present and future in the ring of eternity. A special division of the exhibition will illustrate the activities of the International Centre of the Roerichs and the Museum named after Nicholas Roerich in Moscow.
The exhibition programme involves the awarding ceremony with the Prize of the Charitable Foundation for revival of national, cultural and spiritual heritage «Tree of Life». The Prize will be given to some public figures from different countries for their unique contribution, long-term professional activity and merits in the field of the international humanitarian cooperation. The event will be concluded with the performance of Andrey Rozendent, the young virtuoso musician and holder of the fellowship of the Charitable Foundation by name of Helena Roerich.
The exhibition will be opened April 2 – 6, 2012, in the Pas Perdu Hall. The exhibition opening will be held on April 2, at 18:00.
