Celebration of the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace in Bulgaria Dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Second Conference for the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace in Bruges
On May, 2012 in the Roerich Hall of the National Gallery for Foreign Art, Sophia a commemorative meeting dedicated to the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace was held. This event was organized by the Gallery, the Bulgarian National Roerich Society — Bulgarian Branch of the ICR, and the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music.
The Roerich Pact is an acting international treaty for the protection of cultural values in war- and peacetime.The Banner of Peace as the symbol of the Pact is meant to awaken in everyone respect for the culture of each country, as well as to contribute to the lasting peace and mutual understanding between different nations.
In the greeting speech addressed to the participants of the event Mr George Stoev, Minister of culture of Bulgaria, wrote: ''Nicholas Roerich was an outstanding person. The scale of his activities deserve our admiration and remind us about our responsibility for the preservation of the rich cultural heritage of our country. The Roerich Pact is undoubtedly one of the greatest ideas of the 20th century regarding the protection of cultural heritage and its creators. I am happy that Bulgaria supports this humanistic idea, and I believe that Nicholas Roerich's mission will continue in the future.''
In her greeting address Ms Irina Mutafchieva, Director of the National Gallery of Foreign Art, noted that signing of the Roerich Pact is one of the most important events of the last hundred years. The ancient symbolism of the Banner of Peace gives us the idea of inextricable connection of the Past, Present, and Future, reminding us that the preservation of cultural heritage is the Path to the spiritual development of mankind and to the new achievements in the field of Culture.
Ms Marga Koutsarova, President of the Bulgarian National Roerich Society, said that, according to Nicholas Roerich, Culture should have priority in the social life. Having realized that the cosmic evolution is impossible without culture, Roerich implemented his ideas in the Pact that allows to preserve the cultural heritage for the generations to come.
Ms M. Koutsarova also noted that in 2012 we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of Lyudmila Zhivkova — the illustrious Bulgarian politician and public activist. It was due to her close cooperation with Svetoslav Roerich that the large-scale program ''Nicholas Roerich'' was implemented in Bulgaria in 1978. The program featured several large exhibition of paintings by Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich in Bulgaria and abroad, scientific conferences, and the publication of books by Nicholas Roerich.
Nicholas Roerich's concept of culture was reflected in the creative activities of Lyudmila Zhivkova, by whose initiative the National Gallery for Foreign Art in Sophia was founded. This gallery has a special Roerich Hall where various events dedicated to the artist's life and oeuvre are held regularly.
The year 2012 will see the 110th anniversary of George Roerich, the outstanding scientist and the elder son of Nicholas and Helena Roerich. Professor Alexander Fedotov, Director of the Center for Eastern Languages and Cultures at the Sophia University, told about the achievements of this remarkable Russian scientist who was a great expert in Asian culture and whose works are still relevant.
Opening the vocal concert of the students and professors of the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music, Ms Marga Koutsarova noted that in the 1930s the Bulgarian Roerich society was headed by the language professor of the Academy Prof. Blagoy Mavrov. She also expressed her appreciation of the long-term cooperation with the Academy in the field of the Roerich Pact promotion in Bulgaria. The concert included compositions by Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Britten, Tchaikovsky, and Poulenc.
