Symposium in Vienna

On October 3, 2014 in the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Vienna on the initiative of the Austrian Roerich Society (Austrian National Roerich Pact Committee) and with the cooperation of the Austrian Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Austrian National Committee of the Blue Shield and with the participation of the International Centre of the Roerichs and the International Roerichs’ Heritage Preservation Committee a scientific-applied symposium “Cultural Heritage Protection in Time of Peace and War” was conducted. The event was timed to the 140th anniversary of the famous Russian artist, philosopher, humanist and public figure Nicholas Roerich as well as the recently signed Intergovernmental Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Times of Natural and Man-made Disasters and Cooperation in their Prevention.

In her paper titled “The Roerich Pact and the 1964 Hague Convention. The Multifaceted Prospects of the Cultural Heritage Protection” the Director of the Austrian Roerich Society Mrs. Leylya M. Strobl stressed the historical significance of the Pact, the 80th anniversary of which will be solemnly celebrated in May 2015. She paid special attention to the issue of international cooperation in the field of cultural properties and world heritage preservation in the context of modern rapidly changing and unstable dynamics of international relations. In the same context she gave a high estimate of the potential of the recently signed treaty between Russian and Austria on mutual assistance in times of natural and man-made disasters including for the sake of cultural heritage preservation. The Honorable President of the Austrian Society for the Protection of Cultural Property General Dr. Norbert Fürstenhofer dwelled on its points as well as on the experience of Austrian armed forces in this field. The Executive Director of the International Roerichs’ Heritage Preservation Committee Mikhail Konarovsky informed the audience in great detail about the various aspects of the activities of the International Centre of the Roerichs including those for the propagation of the peacemaking activities and heritage of the Roerichs, and the major directions of the Centre’s cooperation with various partner organizations in Russia and abroad. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation he also informed the participants of the event who included representatives of civil society, military and diplomatic corps about the activities of the International Centre of the Roerichs in the run-up to the Roerich Pact anniversary celebrations and the plans of the Centre including the initiative to realize a large scale international exhibition project “Peace Through Culture” in 2015.

The symposium closed with the concert of folk music and Old Russian romances performed by the Russian and Austrian artistes.