International Public Scientific Conference “George Roerich 110th Birth Anniversary”
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The International Public Scientific Conference “George Roerich 110th Birth Anniversary” was held in the International Centre of the Roerichs on October 9-11, 2012. The Conference was organized by the International Centre of the Roerichs with the support of the UN Information Centre in Moscow. Co-organizers of the event were Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky; RAS Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology named after S.I.Vavilov; International Association of Peace Foundations; International League for Culture Protection; Helena Roerich Charitable Foundation; and Master-Bank.
An exhibition of paintings by Nicholas Roerich from private collections was inaugurated a day before the Conference.
George Roerich was the world-known scientist and outstanding orientalist of the XX century. He was the founder of the Russian schools for Tibetan and Mongolian studies as well as the school for Nomad tribes studies. Being an illustrious linguist, art historian, ethnographer, and traveler he was fluent in 30 European and Asian languages and dialects. He was deeply versed in the culture of peoples of Asia.
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More than 400 participants from different regions of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Estonia, Mongolia, India, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Italy, France attended the event. More than 30 papers were read at the Conference. Among reporters were disciples and co-workers of Prof. G. Roerich – E.P. Chelyshev, academician of Russian Academy of Sciences; V.S. Dalykova-Parfionovich; K.A. Molchanova, Chairperson of the Estonian Roerich society.
Prof. Alexey. V. Postnikov, President of the ICR, and Lyudmila V. Shaposhnikova, First Vice-President of the ICR, Director General of the Museum named after Nicholas Roerich addressed the participants with greeting speeches. They congratulated delegates with the jubilee of the great scientist and reminded about his numerous merits. Dr George Roerich was the author of a number of monographs including the unique studies on Tibetan language dialects as well as Tibetan-Russian-English Dictionary with Sanskrit equivalents. G. Roerich took part in the Central-Asian expedition, and later he became Director of the unique “Urusvaty” Himalayan Research Institute, that was founded by the Roerichs in 1928 in Kullu Valley. In 1929-1930-es, prof. G. Roerich was engaged in the work connected with organization of the Tibetan studies center in New York and gave lectures in universities of the USA. After returning to the USSR in 1957 he was appointed as the Head of the Department of Philosophy and History of Indian Religions in the Soviet Institute of Oriental Studies. Thanks to his dedicated work in 1958 the first exhibition of paintings by N. Roerich was opened in Moscow, Leningrad, Riga, Kiev, Tbilisi, and some other cities.
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Mr. Boiko Vasilev Kotsev, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Bulgaria in Russia; Mrs. Madumita Bhagat, Director of the Indian Cultural Center named after J. Nehru; academician V.M. Ploskih, Vice-president of the Kyrgyzstan National Academy of Sciences; academician G.N. Fursey, President of the International League for the protection of Culture addressed the participants with greetings.
More than 45 greeting letters were received by the organizing committee of the Conference from honorary politicians, activists of culture and science, Russian and foreign state and non-governmental organizations including greetings from Mrs. E.V. Mitrofanova, Permanent delegate of Russia in UNESCO; Mr. S.V. Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia; academician V.A. Chereshnev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on science and technology and many others.
Opening of the new museum hall dedicated to George Roerich was timed to his anniversary.
At the end of the Conference a resolution was passed with a call to protect the Roerichs Heritage, as well as public figures and Maecenases especially B.I. Bulochnik.
The cultural program of the Conference included concerts of Indian traditional dance and music. Young poets and musicians Anna Syrneva, Daniel Posazhennikov, Eugenia Rubtsova, and Jonathan Kimmelfeld performed their musical and poetical compositions and poems by N. Roerich.
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