Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York

12/16/2025

Dear Friends of Nicholas Roerich Museum,

This holiday season, we’re sharing something truly sweet. Our bees-in-residence have been hard at work, and their honey is now available at a special Christmas discount.

✨ Enjoy 40% off all Honey Raw jars ✨

Crafted by our happy, well-cared-for bees in Central & Riverside Parks, this honey is alive with floral diversity and natural goodness. It makes a perfect gift for loved ones—or a festive treat for yourself.

🎁 Offer valid through December 25th.
🛒 Shop now and bring home the taste of the season.

https://www.manhattanparkshoney.com/

Wishing you joy, warmth, and sweetness this Christmas,
Nicholas Roerich Museum

11/28/2025

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976193647397?aff=oddtdtcreator

Julián Fueyo, Ludwig van Beethoven, Federico Mompou, and Frédéric Chopin on the Upper West Side, New York.

10/16/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4htBe45FdU&t=23s

90 лет спустя после подписания, Пакт Рериха все еще вызывает острые дискуссии. Что это — формальный документ или живая идея, способная изменить мир? В этом в...

10/14/2025

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1774635274879?aff=oddtdtcreator

Maria Lisella, Aida Zilelian, Eleni Traganas

07/27/2025

https://youtu.be/W8CnD4H_TPA?si=YfC7QUf8AyvTwVMP

Join the Nicholas Roerich Museum in celebrating a monumental moment for global heritage: the 90th anniversary of the Roerich Pact.This video captures our spe...

07/15/2025

Music and the Land. A night of music and cultural exchange.

Indigenous Amazon and Tuvan & Mongolian Throat Singing, Presented by: Arts for The Culture at Nicholas Roerich Museum on Upper West Side

Reservation required:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1493120095399?aff=oddtdtcreator

04/29/2025

🕊️✨ Celebrate Peace Through Culture! ✨🕊️
Join us at the Nicholas Roerich Museum for a special event marking the 90th anniversary of the Roerich Pact — the historic treaty dedicated to protecting cultural heritage during times of war and peace.

🗓 Date: 4/30/2025 at 7pm
📍 Location: Nicholas Roerich Museum, NYC
🎟 RSVP: eventbrite.com/e/1333456116139

This is more than an event — it’s a tribute to an enduring vision of peace, art, and human unity. Let’s come together to honor a legacy that still inspires the world.

04/15/2025

Today, April 15th, 2025, marks the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Roerich Pact! 🕊️ This landmark international agreement, initiated by Nicholas Roerich and signed in Washington D.C. on this very day in 1935, stands as a powerful testament to the enduring importance of preserving cultural heritage during times of conflict. The Roerich Pact and its Banner of Peace remind us that culture is a unifying force for humanity and deserves our utmost protection. Join us in commemorating this vital legacy and its continued relevance in today's world.

04/09/2025

A First of Its Kind

The Roerich Pact holds a distinguished place in the history of international law as the very first international treaty that was specifically dedicated to the protection of cultural property during armed conflict. This pioneering aspect of the pact cannot be overstated, as it established a crucial precedent for the recognition and safeguarding of cultural heritage on a global scale. Before the Roerich Pact, while certain aspects of cultural property were sometimes addressed in broader international agreements, there was no specific and comprehensive legal framework focused solely on their protection during times of war. The pact's most significant contribution was the establishment of the legal principle that the defense of cultural objects is of greater importance than military necessity. This assertion marked a fundamental shift in thinking about the conduct of warfare and the responsibilities of nations towards the cultural heritage of humanity.

The Roerich Pact was driven by the profound idea of "Peace of Civilizations" 1. Nicholas Roerich and his supporters believed that by recognizing the shared value of cultural heritage, nations could foster greater understanding and ultimately contribute to a more peaceful world. This idealistic vision underscored the pact's aim to transcend political and national boundaries in the protection of culture. Furthermore, the pact was envisioned as a "cultural analogy to the Red Cross for medical neutrality". This comparison was intended to elevate the protection of cultural sites to the same level of humanitarian concern as the protection of human life and health during conflict. Just as the Red Cross emblem provides a symbol of safety and neutrality for medical personnel and facilities, the Banner of Peace was designed to offer similar recognition and protection to cultural institutions and monuments.

04/08/2025

Nations United for Culture

The Roerich Pact was initially signed by representatives from 21 American Republics on April 15, 1935. These nations, united by a shared commitment to cultural preservation, included Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela. This widespread initial support across the Americas demonstrated a regional consensus on the importance of protecting cultural heritage.

However, while 21 nations signed the treaty, only 10 of these countries ultimately proceeded to ratify it. Ratification, a more formal and binding commitment under international law, involves a nation formally approving the treaty through its internal legal processes. The ten nations that ratified the Roerich Pact were Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Venezuela. This difference between the number of signatories and ratifying states suggests that while there was broad initial agreement on the pact's principles, varying levels of commitment or potential political shifts within these countries might have influenced the final ratification decisions. The early ratification by nations such as Cuba and the United States indicates their strong initial support for the principles of cultural heritage protection, likely playing a significant role in the pact's entry into force and its early momentum. The initial focus on American nations reflects the geopolitical context of the 1930s and the significant role of the Pan-American Union in fostering cooperation within the Western Hemisphere.

04/07/2025

The Visionary and Allies

The impetus behind the Roerich Pact came from the visionary Russian artist, scholar, and thinker, Nicholas Roerich. His personal experiences and deep appreciation for culture fueled his lifelong dedication to its protection. Roerich first conceived the idea for such an international agreement as early as 1899, during his archeological work, where he witnessed the vulnerability of historical artifacts. This initial concern was further galvanized by the extensive destruction of cultural heritage during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and the First World War. These devastating conflicts underscored the urgent need for a formal international framework to safeguard cultural treasures from the ravages of war.

To translate his vision into a legal reality, Roerich collaborated with Dr. Georges Chklaver, a distinguished professor of international law at the University of Paris. This partnership between an artist with a profound understanding of cultural value and a legal expert was crucial in crafting the text of the pact and ensuring its adherence to international legal standards. The support of prominent figures also played a significant role in the pact's journey. President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States was a strong advocate for the treaty, and his personal involvement was instrumental in its signing. Roosevelt's belief in the pact's importance was evident in the signing ceremony held at the White House and his subsequent public statements. Furthermore, the Roerich Pact garnered support from a diverse group of influential intellectuals and artists from around the world, including Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Mann, Albert Einstein, and Herbert Wells. Their endorsements lent considerable weight to Roerich's initiative and helped to raise international awareness of the need for cultural heritage protection. On the day of the signing, Henry A. Wallace, the US Secretary of Agriculture, represented the United States, underscoring the administration's commitment to this humanitarian cause.

04/06/2025

Protecting Culture, Preserving Peace

The Roerich Pact's primary aim was to establish a framework for the protection of artistic and scientific institutions, as well as historic monuments, not only during wartime but also in times of peace. A core objective of the pact was the groundbreaking legal recognition that the defense of cultural objects holds greater importance than their potential use or destruction for military purposes. This principle asserted that the preservation of culture should always take precedence over any military necessity, a concept that was quite radical for its time and continues to be a significant aspiration in international law. Historically, wartime practices often disregarded cultural property in favor of military objectives. The Roerich Pact directly challenged this norm, establishing a higher value for cultural heritage as fundamentally important for humanity's identity and progress.

Nicholas Roerich's vision of cultural heritage extended beyond mere physical structures. He sought to protect the broader spectrum of creative activities, including universities, libraries, hospitals, concert halls, and theaters. This inclusive definition reflects a holistic understanding of culture as a dynamic and living force, encompassing education, knowledge, and humanitarian endeavors, rather than just static artifacts. By including such institutions, the pact recognized the interconnectedness of various facets of human civilization and the necessity of safeguarding them all. Furthermore, the Roerich Pact was often referred to as the "Red Cross of Culture". This powerful analogy aimed to convey the pact's purpose of providing a similar protective status to cultural sites as the Red Cross offers to medical facilities. Just as the Red Cross emblem signifies neutrality and protection for the wounded and sick, the Banner of Peace was intended to serve as a universally recognized symbol for cultural sites, declaring them neutral and independent of combatant forces. The long-term vision of the pact also included instilling an understanding of the profound importance of cultural heritage from the earliest stages of education 4. It was believed that by educating future generations about the value of culture, a stronger commitment to its preservation could be fostered.