Let's defend the Maecenas of Art and the public Museum named after N.K. Roerich
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On the revocation of banking license of OAO (JSC) Master Bank by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation on 20 November 2013, mass media started prosecuting and casting slurs upon its head Boris Ilyich Bulochnik, who for 20 years has been the Maecenas of the public Museum named after N.K. Roerich. The International Roerich Centre hasn't made any official statements on this issue yet, because the developments were quick and sudden and it takes some time to analyze and think them over. Before long the ICR will make an official statement on the case.
But now we can already say responsibly that this attack on Master Bank and Boris Bulochnik is an attack not only on all the numerous depositors of the bank who at once found themselves without their money. It's also an assault on the public Museum named after N.K. Roerich and its broad cultural activity which was fully financed by Boris Bulochnik. Therefore, it's also a blow on the culture of Russia. The tragic story of the Roerichs' heritage return to its home country clearly proved that many Russian high-ranking officials don't care for our public museum which not only stands guard over the preservation of our great compatriots' cultural heritage and safeguards it from the looting, but also carries out broad activities on popularizing Nicholas Roerich's peace-building ideas in Russia as well as all around the world. That's why we believe that one of the principal reasons of destroying Master Bank is a seek to stop its patronage activities in respect to our museum.
The strike has been made. And the implications are catastrophic. The museum has lost all its means of subsistence and to carry on its cultural activity. Can we really allow our enemies to destroy the wonderful museum created with so great efforts and despite so great obstacles by its founders – Svetoslav Nickolaevich Roerich, Yuliy Michailovich Vorontsov, Lyudmila Vasilyevna Shaposhnikova and Boris Ilyich Bulochnik?!
Dear friends, and fellow-thinkers, and everyone who cares for the Roerichs' heritage, the honor and good name of our Meacenas of Art and the future of the public Museum named after N.K. Roerich, we kindly ask you to send your comments, responses and letters of support to the ICR e-mail: website@icr.su or roerich@icr.su