International Day of Culture (day of adoption of the Roerich Pact). International Day of Culture The meaning and principles of the Roerich Pact

The main difference between modern people and their ancestors is their higher degree of development. But it is a mistake to believe that a person who lived long before we were born had completely wild ideas about certain things. For example, in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece cultural development has already been observed. And currently, much effort is being made to preserve traditions and values ​​that are significant to the world community. One of the clearest examples of this is the regular celebration of April 15 International Day culture. The date was established in 1998 on the initiative of members of the World League for Cultural Preservation, founded in 1996.

For the first time, the idea of ​​establishing this holiday was proposed by Nicholas Roerich. This event took place in 1931 in Belgium at a congress dedicated to the promotion of an interethnic pact for the protection of culture. At the conference, the key goal of the solemn date was announced - propaganda calling for the knowledge of all that is beautiful. In the spring of four years later, at the Roosevelt residence, the international agreement “Roerich Pact” on the protection of cultural property was adopted. Nicholas Roerich himself always called culture the only effective tool for the improvement of humanity, seeing in it the basis for the unification of all people, regardless of religion and affiliation with any one. or nation.

Decision on establishment official protection culture came to him in the first half of the last century, during the study of ancient domestic monuments. The Russian-Japanese military conflict, which occurred in 1904, forced the painter to seriously worry about the safety of cultural property.
In 1914, he approached Russian officials and the governments of the remaining warring states with the idea of ​​​​ensuring the protection of ancient monuments through the conclusion of an appropriate treaty. However, the call was ignored. After 15 years, the artist drew up and published a draft agreement, supplementing it with a message to the residents of all countries. This document caused a wide resonance and found a response among the world community. Committees have been formed in individual states that strongly support the project. As a result, the Pact was approved.

Every year on April 15, many countries around the world celebrate this holiday. The list of events organized on this day all over the world, in particular in Russia, officially recognized as one of the most cultural states on Earth, is as diverse as the concept of culture itself.

The program includes:
- exhibitions dedicated to the culture of various nationalities;
- scientific congresses dedicated to this topic;
- educational lectures about the culture of different nations;
- holiday concerts;
- evenings of poetry and classical music;
- performances and stage performances.

An obligatory attribute of the event is the ceremonial raising of the Banner created by Roerich - a white canvas depicting three circles (symbols of the past, present and future).

International Day of Culture in 2018 is celebrated on April 15, Sunday. This significant day does not relate to professional or any other holidays associated with specialized human activities, but refers to such a universal sphere of human existence as culture.

The history of the holiday

The history of the emergence of this amazing holiday is very interesting and indicative. It reflects the spiritual and philosophical quests of the outstanding artist and thinker and Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947).

The International Day of Culture can confidently be called the fruit of his efforts and the legacy that he left to humanity. For many years, Nicholas Roerich appealed to governments around the world to create an international Treaty on the protection of cultural property. Finally, with the support of the world community, such an agreement was signed on April 15, 1935 in Washington. It was called the “Roerich Pact”.

The purpose of this international legal act is to protect and preserve the best achievements of the human spirit and mind, to create conditions for the unification of all peoples on the basis of universal cultural values.

The Roerich Pact underlies many international documents in the field of preservation of cultural property, including a number of United Nations resolutions.

The symbol of this unique document was the Banner of Peace, which also has its own symbolism:

• the white color of the panel is a symbol of purity, Light, radiance and Beauty;
• three red (amaranth) circles touching each other - a symbol of the past, present, future. In a broader interpretation, the symbol of the trinity;
• a circle enclosing amaranth circles is a symbol of Eternity.

As the author of the Banner N.K. believed. Roerich, the symbolism of the proposed flag is not limited to any religion or tradition, has ancient origins and denotes the unity of the universe. The Banner of Peace is installed on cultural objects of great importance, which, according to Roerich, is especially important during military conflicts.

The philosophical concept of culture created by Nikolai Konstantinovich is interesting. By it he means the basis of the cosmic evolution of humanity, the knowledge of Beauty in the process of creativity. Culture is a synthesis of the highest achievements in the fields of religion, science, art, and education.

So, the emergence of the International Day of Culture is directly related to the signing of the Roerich Pact on April 15, 1935. But this holiday began to be celebrated very soon - only since 1998.

How to celebrate International Day of Culture

The initiator of the International Day of Culture was the established International Center Roerich public organization International League for the Defense of Culture. Of course, the followers of the outstanding thinker had no doubts about what date to celebrate this significant event: it could only be April 15 - the day the Roerich Pact was signed.

The International League for the Defense of Culture and other public organizations hold numerous events on Culture Day:

• conferences, seminars and symposia on the problems of cultural protection;
• musical and poetry evenings;
• exhibitions national cultures and much more;

All these events in many countries of the world, including Russia, are accompanied by the solemn raising of the Banner of Peace.

Use of the Banner of Peace

April 15 is celebrated as International Day of Culture. The date is associated with the signing on April 15, 1935 in Washington of the Treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and scientific institutions And historical monuments", which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The initiative to celebrate the day of signing the Pact as the International Day of Culture was taken in 1998 by the public organization International League for the Defense of Culture, founded in 1996 by the International Center of the Roerichs.

Since that time, in many cities of Russia and around the world, on April 15, a solemn celebration of Culture Day is taking place with the raising of the Banner of Peace. In some Russian cities, International Day of Culture has been celebrated since 1995.

Since 1999, at the initiative of public organizations, this day has been celebrated as an international day of culture.

In December 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, the International Movement was created to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace.

The proposal to hold World Culture Day was put forward by the artist Nicholas Roerich in 1931 in the Belgian city of Bruges at a conference dedicated to promoting an international treaty on the protection of cultural property. Roerich considered culture the main driving force towards the improvement of human society, and saw in it the basis for the unity of people of different nationalities and religions. At the same time, the main task of the Day of Culture was named - a broad appeal to beauty and knowledge. Nicholas Roerich wrote: “Let us also affirm the World Day of Culture, when in all churches, in all schools and educational societies at the same time, we will be reminded of the true treasures of humanity, of creative heroic enthusiasm, of the improvement and beautification of life.”

The first international legal act on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments was also proposed by Roerich.
The idea of ​​​​creating organized protection of cultural values ​​arose from him at the very beginning of the century while studying the monuments of Russian antiquity. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904 forced the artist to seriously think about the threat that lurked in the technical improvement of military means of destruction. In 1914, Nicholas Roerich addressed the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural property by concluding an appropriate international agreement, but his appeal then remained unanswered. In 1929, Roerich prepared and published in various languages ​​a draft treaty on the protection of cultural property, accompanying it with an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty received worldwide fame and wide response among the world community. Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Herbert Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann, Rabindranath Tagore supported the idea of ​​Nicholas Roerich. Committees were formed in many countries in support of the Roerich Pact. The draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

On April 15, 1935, in Washington, the leaders of 21 states of the American continent adopted an international treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” known as the Roerich Pact.

As part of the pact, the distinctive sign proposed by Roerich was approved, which was supposed to mark protected cultural objects. This sign was the “Banner of Peace” - a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted - the past, present and future achievements of mankind, surrounded by a ring of Eternity. The pact contains general principles regarding the protection of cultural property and the respect due to it. The provision on the protection of objects is unconditional in the pact and is not weakened by clauses on military necessity, which reduce the effectiveness of the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts.

The Roerich Pact has been used as the basis for many documents of modern international cooperation in the field of conservation cultural heritage.

Holiday calendar in April

At school, my history teacher, in order to clearly explain to students what culture is, once said that culture is what remains after a person. And indeed, in most cases, culture is understood as human activity in its most varied manifestations, including all forms and methods of human self-realization and self-knowledge, the accumulation by man and society of various skills and abilities.

So what is culture?

The word "culture" translated from Sanskrit literally means "veneration of light", expressing the desire for knowledge of beauty, ideals and self-improvement. Translated from Latin cultura - cultivation, later - upbringing, education, development and veneration. Culture is the subject of study of philosophy, cultural studies, history, art history, linguistics, political science, ethnology, psychology, economics, pedagogy and other fields.

In a word, culture is a set of sustainable forms of human activity, without which it cannot be reproduced, and therefore cannot exist. Simply put, culture is a set of codes that prescribe a person a certain behavior with characteristic experiences and thoughts. Finally, the source of the origin of culture is considered to be only human activity, cognition and creativity.

On the part of humanity, studying and appreciating culture, preserving and protecting it is the main duty. After all, it is the consumer attitude towards the gifts of nature, inattention and neglect of historical monuments, the lack of spirituality in society, the veneration of exclusively material values ​​- all these are clear signs of a lack of culture or simply lack of culture. And to educate and develop conscience, empathy and responsibility in a person - only culture is capable of this. Therefore, in order to emphasize the significance and value of all spheres of activity of the cultural world, this holiday was established on earth - International Day of Culture, which is celebrated annually in many countries of the world on April 15.

History of the holiday

The holiday was established on April 15, 1935 in honor of the adoption of the international treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The idea of ​​​​creating organized protection of cultural property belongs to the outstanding painter and figure of Russian and world culture Nicholas Roerich, who saw culture as the main driving force on the path to improving human society, considered it the source and basis of unity of people of different nationalities and religions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, during the period of wars and redistribution of territories, while studying the monuments of Russian antiquity, Roerich understood how vitally important it was to preserve them. Therefore, in 1914, the artist turned to the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural property by concluding an appropriate international agreement. Unfortunately, his appeal remained unanswered at that time.

However, Roerich did not stop there, and in 1929 he prepared and published a draft treaty on the protection of cultural property, accompanying it with an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty immediately gained worldwide fame and wide response among the world community. And in support of the idea of ​​​​Nicholas Roerich, Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Herbert Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann and Rabindranath Tagore spoke out. Moreover, committees in support of the Pact were founded in many countries. As a result, the draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

So it was Nicholas Roerich who became the ideologist and creator of the document on the protection of world cultural heritage, which was conceived as an international legal act of a universal nature. And on April 15, 1935, on the eve of World War II, in the White House in Washington, the heads of 21 states signed the first ever international treaty “On the protection of institutions serving the purposes of culture, science and art, as well as historical monuments,” named after its creator "Roerich Pact".

It is noteworthy that the Covenant contains general principles regarding the protection of cultural property and the respect due to it. The provision on the protection of objects is unconditional in the Pact and is not weakened by clauses on military necessity, which reduce the effectiveness of the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts.

As part of the Pact, Roerich also proposed a distinctive sign that was supposed to mark protected cultural objects - it became the Banner of Peace, a kind of Banner of Culture. This is a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted, symbolizing the past, present and future achievements of mankind, surrounded by a ring of Eternity. This sign is international in nature and is found in works of art different countries and peoples of the world from ancient times to the present. According to Roerich's plan, the Banner of Peace was to fly over cultural objects as a guardian of the true spiritual values ​​of humanity.

© photo: Sputnik / Rudolf Kucherov

"Banner of Peace" - a gift from the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York

The Pact was destined to play an important role in the further formation of international legal norms and social activities in the field of cultural heritage protection. This treaty has been used as the basis for many documents of modern international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection, including in a number of UNESCO acts.

How is Culture Day celebrated?

International Day of Culture is celebrated around the world with various festive cultural and educational events and promotions: in many countries, gala concerts, exhibitions of national cultures of the world, conferences, symposiums and lectures on various cultural topics, musical and poetry evenings, as well as theatrical performances and much more are organized.

According to tradition, on this day the Banner of Peace is also raised and all cultural workers are congratulated on their professional holiday.

By the way, the Banner of Peace can now be seen everywhere - in the UN buildings in New York and Vienna, in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, in cultural institutions of different countries, on the highest peaks of the world and even at the North and South Poles. And it was also lifted into space.

Today, in the era of globalization, when the earth is acutely experiencing serious economic and environmental crises, natural disasters and military conflicts, caring for culture is extremely important and relevant. After all, it is its increase and preservation that is still capable of uniting people regardless of their nationality, age, gender, status, and finally ending military conflicts and making politics and economics moral. Only the acceptance by states of culture as the only true and necessary force is the guarantee of peace on Earth.

The date is associated with the signing on April 15, 1935 in Washington of the agreement “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The initiative to celebrate the day of signing the Pact as the International Day of Culture was taken in 1998 by the public organization International League for the Defense of Culture, founded in 1996 by the International Center of the Roerichs.

Since that time, in many cities of Russia and around the world, on April 15, a solemn celebration of Culture Day is taking place with the raising of the Banner of Peace. In some Russian cities, International Day of Culture has been celebrated since 1995.

In December 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, the International Movement was created to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace.

Various events are annually dedicated to the International Day of Culture - exhibitions, round tables, conferences.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources