For several weeks now, an exhibition of 31 paintings from the collection of the Museum of the East has been opened at the Lopukhins' Estate, which, by the way, are also the property of the Public Museum. Roerich of the ICR, illegally held by them for many years.

Today, in this photo essay, we want to show all visitors of the portal what the paintings have turned into in the state, so to speak, storage in the SMOA. This sad photo tour will be accompanied by records of eyewitnesses who visited this exhibition and captured the disgrace they saw there.

Such an exhibition, without any words, speaks about who exactly cannot be trusted with the national property. The invaders and their assistants for many years shouted that everything was handed over by the Roerichs to the people, which means it should belong to the state. Let us briefly recall once again that S.N. Roerich, handed over the entire heritage, on the condition that it would be located in the Public Museum.

But let's approach this issue from the other side. But are all of us, who wrote thousands of letters asking for help from the ICR, and remained unanswered, not related to the Russian people? The state is not officials, they are just a state apparatus, the so-called "servants of the people." The state is the people of our country, and therefore we are with you.

Look how many organizations have signed the Open Letter to the President (cry for help) - 163 organizations. These signatures were also collected on our portal, no one insisted on them, no one forcibly forced anyone to send them to us. We also opened the possibility of signing only on our own initiative, because we understood that many simply do not know where and how (especially now) they can send their vote in defense of the ICR.

So rudely, like a bandit, to cross out 26 years of excellent fruitful work, as a result of which the Museum was created, which has become one of the brightest pearls of Russian culture - is this all in the name and benefit of the State?

In the meantime, there is no answer to this question, let's return to the quality of the "responsible state" storage of our paintings. And before that, let us remember how paintings were restored and restored in the ICR back in good times. Such a picture is, for example, a portrait of E.I. Roerich by S.N. Roerich. And later, already in 2016, the whole world raised funds for the restoration of the last lifetime portrait of N.K. Roerich. And they collected the required amount, the portrait was returned literally from non-existence. And it is all the more bitter to tears that this portrait needed adaptation, but then the invaders ran in, turned off all systems, and what has now become of this portrait, what is happening with other paintings, that were previously favored by the employees responsible for storage - we can only guess .

S.N. Roerich. Portrait of E. I. Roerich (2). 1937

S.N. Roerich. Portrait of N.K. Roerich. Canvas. Oil.

This photo essay presents 6 paintings, about the state of the rest, especially those that lie in the so-called. storerooms of the SMOA, one can only guess anxiously. But even those 6 paintings out of 31 placed at the exhibition - you must admit, this is already a lot. A logical question arises - why seize such a heritage, if it was impossible to manage what was seized many years ago?

Tatyana Boykova

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S. N. Roerich, Silence, 1964

The paint is peeling off

S. N. Roerich. Kanchenjunga. White Citadel, 1954

A traumatized painting with a deep dent in the middle

a heavily crumbling layer of tempera, not to mention the deplorable state of the frames.

Wounded paintings by S. N. Roerich from the storerooms of the Museum of the East, which, according to the will of S. N. Roerich, should belong to the International Center of the Roerichs. State Museum so "takes care" of the masterpieces of world art. (03/22/2018 Irina Shmigelskaya. Latvia.)

S. N. Roerich, Kanchenjunga. Secret Hour, 1955

The picture has a lot of scratches.

At the opened exhibition in the captured building of the ICR, it was demonstrated that the Heritage of S.N. Roerich dies after storage in the Museum of the East. The barbarians did not take care of proper storage. While officials have been trying all the years of the ICR to take away the building and paintings, and at this time ... paintings worldwide famous artist S.N. Roerich as a result of their unworthy storage require urgent restoration. Tempera crumbling, traces of dirty hands, a dent. Kanchenjunga. We clearly see the crumbling tempera. As a result of inadmissible storage, this work requires urgent restoration. SOS! (03/25/2018 Olga Antonova, Kemerovo)

S. N. Roerich, Sacred Flute 3, 1955

Scratches and dirty spots

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S.N. Roerich. Kanchenjunga (Kanchenjunga. Evening). 1954

Dirty spots, heavily crumbling tempera.

The heritage of the Roerichs stolen from the ICR is slowly dying within the walls of the Museum of the East.

At the opened exhibition (it is difficult to call it an exhibition) in the captured building of the ICR, some of the paintings by S.N. Roerich, these paintings were long years in the Museum of the East at one time transferred to them for temporary storage and not returned to the true owner, i.e. ICR They were illegally held by the Museum of Oriental Art. And now, with pain in our hearts, we are forced to see not negligence, but a criminal attitude towards heritage, we see what happens to the paintings after their long "captivity" in the Museum of the East. Pictures are dying. The barbarians did not take care of the proper storage of those paintings that they "privatized". Nevertheless, it was not enough for the officials to hold these paintings illegally. all the years they attacked the fruitful cultural and scientific center (the International Roerich Center), attacked the ICR and the estate in which the museum was located, the estate, restored from the ruins by the public without the help of the state. Now we see that those long-captured paintings of the world-famous artist Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. Roerich, as a result of unworthy storage, they require urgent restoration. The crumbling tempera, traces of dirty hands, dents and scratches. And the Museum of the East, together with the Ministry of Culture, has enough impudence and confidence in impunity to demonstrate their criminal attitude towards the storage and preservation of national property. And what do the events of the capture of the Lopukhins' estate, along with all the unique heritage in 2017, tell about??? All the pictures captured, armed by the "guards" and taken out, all the priceless heritage of the Roerich family "floated away" in an unknown direction. WHERE, all the heritage taken out of the museum? "History is silent." Everything is covered in darkness. One can only guess how the Ministry of Culture disposed of the property - KNOCKING, SHOUTING, WRITING, CALLING and T AND SH AND N A !!! (23.03.2018Natalya Eremina. Riga, Latvia)

An exhibition of the outstanding artist Nicholas Roerich has opened in the Benois Wing of the Russian Museum. The exposition vividly demonstrates the main features of his work: bright decorativeness, a generalized and mythologized view of history and nature, as well as pronounced internationalism.

At the exhibition in the Benois Wing, visitors will see works from the early, so-called “Russian period” of Roerich’s work, as well as canvases and sketches from the Indian period of life, transferred to the Russian Museum in 1960 by the artist’s eldest son, orientalist Yuri Roerich. In particular, these are the “Rocks of Lahula. (Signs of Gesar)”, “Nanda-Devi”, “Tibet. Monastery”, “Glory of the Himalayas”, “Treasures of the Snows”, “Stupa. Ladak" and others. In total, the exhibition presents about 300 paintings and drawings, including from the funds of the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Peterhof State Museum Reserve, the Brodsky Museum-Apartment and private collections in St. Petersburg. It is noted that the exhibition surpassed in its scale the exposition of 1974, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the artist.

The general sponsor of this exhibition is VTB Bank, which has been supporting the projects of the Russian Museum for more than 10 years. "The artistic heritage of Nicholas Roerich - a man with interesting biography, the author of many diverse paintings, who occupies an exceptional place among the figures of Russian and world culture, is grandiose. It is with great pleasure that VTB Bank supports the large-scale exhibition of the works of this outstanding artist in the Russian Museum, which, we are sure, will impress both art professionals and connoisseurs visual arts Petersburgers or guests of the Northern Capital,” said Yury Levchenko, Deputy Head of the North-West Regional Center of VTB, Senior Vice President.

For the first time, the public will be able to see many of Roerich's sketches of the late period of his work. Usually they are stored in the storerooms of the Russian Museum. Each of the sketches in terms of artistic performance is almost a full-fledged picture of a small format. The organizers of the exhibition did a great job collecting them on the walls of the exhibition halls in the form of mosaic panels. Given the "glow" of Roerich's paintings, such conglomerates of images create the effect of a stained-glass window, the creators of the exposition note.

Particular attention is paid to the series of paintings "Bogatyr Frieze". Previously, they were rarely exhibited due to their large size. The series was created by Roerich in 1910 for the dining room in the house of the merchant and industrialist Philadelph Bazhanov in St. Petersburg. The series consists of seven large panels ("Volga", "Mikula", "Ilya Muromets", "The Nightingale the Robber", "Sadko", "Bayan" and "Vityaz"), the total length of which reaches 25.75 meters, as well as 12 smaller canvases. Four parts of this work are in the permanent exhibition of the museum, but the entire panel is exhibited for the first time. Panels of window openings with floral and architectural motifs will also be seen by the general public for the first time.

Evgenia Petrova, Deputy Director of the Russian Museum for scientific work, notes the most important features of Roerich's painting, in particular, his special interest in archeology and ancient history. “Roerich was especially interested in such topics as the migration of peoples. But we must remember that this is not a story as such, but rather his reflections on it. It is generally characterized by broad generalizations, mythologization of the past and nature,” she notes.

The degree of generalization of the paintings is such that it is sometimes impossible to understand what area and era they depict. So, Petrova pays special attention to Roerich's painting of 1940 "Midnight". “The degree of generalization here is such that it is difficult to understand what exactly is depicted - India or the Russian North,” she notes. On the canvas, we see rocks, the surface of the water, boats and a dazzlingly bright crown of light. Multi-colored light columns move, flash and disappear, reminiscent of the northern lights.

The exhibition also features paintings that have long been familiar to the public - in particular, "Guests from Overseas", as well as works by Roerich, which formed the basis of the artistic design of "The Rite of Spring", one of the greatest ballets of all time.

It is important to remember that Roerich is not only a painter, but also an influential fighter for the preservation of cultural monuments. It was he who was the main initiator of the signing of the famous Roerich Pact - an agreement on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments. The pact is the first international document that is entirely dedicated to the protection of cultural property and does not contain a military necessity clause. Roerich emphasized that cultural monuments are not national, but international, and their protection is the business of all mankind. Alas, the provisions of the pact are still very relevant. “We all see that cultural monuments in many countries continue to be destroyed, especially in wartime. Particularly in connection with the events recent years such a threat hung over many cultural objects in Egypt,” notes Evgenia Petrova.

The exhibition will run until June 2014.

Timofei Tumashevich

Nicholas Roerich: from ballet to Shambhala

The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg shows previously unknown works of the painter

Nicholas Roerich lived like a real yogi: the incredible number of events, places of residence, meetings and discoveries that happened in his life for 73 years is impossible to cover with the usual rhythm of life. Obviously, there were some mystical revelations and energy doping. But talking about it out loud is not recommended. The exhibition explores another Roerich, not an esotericist, but an artist.

Everything that he created, Roerich bequeathed to his country

Born into a very prosperous St. Petersburg family that was friends with Mendeleev, Mikeshin, Kostomarov and other prominent people of that time, Nicholas Roerich remained an amazingly prosperous person throughout his life. Both in personal life and in creativity. “Poor Artist” is not about Nicholas Roerich. He was an odious figure, but infinitely talented. Closed man, but decent. The only Russian who was awarded the title of "Maharishi" by the Hindus, which means "great sage" in Sanskrit. How did he do it? The answer to this question can be given by the retrospective exhibition of the artist, which opens on April 9 at the Russian Museum in the Benois building with the support of VTB Bank.

1. 40 years later

Exhibition “Nicholas Roerich. 1874-1947" opens in the year of the 140th anniversary of Roerich. The last time such an exhibition dedicated to this artist was held at the Russian Museum exactly 40 years ago, in 1974. The exhibition is based on about 300 works, most of which are represented by the Russian Museum, whose collection of works by Roerich is considered the largest in the world. Provided three works Tretyakov Gallery. One work - GMZ "Peterhof". Three more - the Research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts (Museum-apartment of I. I. Brodsky). And two works arrived in the Benois building from private collections.
Since the exhibition is very large, it presents a retrospective of Roerich's work: from the first works, still as a student of Arkhip Kuindzhi's studio (Ukrainian Landscape, 1897, the work has not been exhibited before) to the painting "Remember", written by the artist shortly before his death. The last hall of the huge exposition is dedicated to the early graphic works of Nicholas Roerich.

2. Slippers mind you

Nicholas Roerich had two educations: legal and artistic. Contemporaries noted his efficiency, multiplied by good manners, the ability to find an approach to the interlocutor and personal charm. All this together, of course, gave positive result. Roerich himself and his paintings have always been in the spotlight. They were both strongly scolded and praised non-stop in equal measure. Be that as it may, but the name of Nikolai Konstantinovich almost from the moment of graduating from the academy was heard all over the world.

“Working with Diaghilev gave the world such masterpieces as the scenery for The Rite of Spring”

The artist lacked the so-called fortress of the drawing (for which the St. Petersburg school was famous), which he knew about and at first tried to correct. But later I decided to compensate for the rich color of the work. And most importantly - the choice of a topic that no one had developed before him. Ancient Slavs, temples, primitive tribes and ancient Russian battles - from this the artist began his path to glory. Historical trend, in terms modern language, it was Roerich who brought into fashion - for the 1890s, the ancient Slavic theme was a curiosity. Fascinated by archeology since childhood, a member of the Russian Archaeological Society, having independently carried out a number of excavations since his student years, Roerich knew well what he was writing, therefore he was extremely reliable in details and at the same time very poetic. Such works as "Idols", "Building a City", "Overseas Guests" set a new fashion in art. Roerich was friends with the master art criticism Vladimir Stasov, who enthusiastically welcomed the young talent. And the talent was not shy, he actively corresponded with Stasov, discussing in detail every detail of his work, even the style of leather slippers on the feet of one of the characters in his picture.

The diploma work of Nicholas Roerich was the painting "Messenger", which was acquired for his collection by the Moscow collector Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. Then Stasov recommended that his protégé get acquainted with Leo Tolstoy: “You must definitely visit Tolstoy ... let him great writer Russian land will make you an artist. The meeting really took place, and Tolstoy gave the young Roerich advice for life: “Have you ever crossed a fast-moving river in a boat? You must always rule above the place where you need it, otherwise it will blow you away. So in the field of moral requirements, one must always steer higher - life will blow everything away. Let your messenger hold the rudder very high, then he will swim!” By the way, later, just like Lev Nikolayevich, Nikolai Konstantinovich will be excommunicated for his religious beliefs.

4. Legend No. 19

The focus of the current exhibition is the “Bogatyr Frieze”, created by Roerich in 1910 for the dining room in the house of the merchant and industrialist Philadelph Bazhanov in St. Petersburg. Frieze on heroic theme consists of seven large panels ("Volga", "Mikula", "Ilya Muromets", "The Nightingale the Robber", "Sadko", "Bayan" and "Vityaz"), the total length of which reaches 25.75 meters. In addition to them, the frieze has 12 smaller canvases. Four parts of this work hang in the permanent exhibition of the museum, but the entire panel is exhibited for the first time. Why is it not shown in its entirety? The answer is prosaic. The problem is the size. The central canvas - "Sadko" (2x7 m) - is difficult to place in the hall. So to see the whole frieze in its entirety - great luck and rarity. In addition, for the first time after the restoration, a fragment of the frieze "Fortified Settlement" is exhibited.

5. Life is a theater

Nicholas Roerich was a patriot and did not want to leave his country. His emigration was forced. In 1916, due to a lung disease, at the insistence of doctors, the artist, together with his family - his wife Elena and two sons - moved to Finland. After the revolution of 1917, the border was closed, and Roerich was cut off. Thus began his journey as an emigrant: first an exhibition tour in Scandinavia, then in England, London, later in the USA, where he earned a reputation as an art guru, and then in India, where he ended his life.
In 1919, Roerich received an invitation from Sergei Diaghilev to work on the design of Russian operas to the music of M. P. Mussorgsky and A. P. Borodin. So one of the paintings painted at the height of the First World War, in 1916, "Three Joys", became a sketch of theatrical scenery. Roerich only removed people from the canvas.
Working with Diaghilev gave the world such masterpieces as the scenery for The Rite of Spring, booed at the premiere for innovation.
The theatrical period (relatively speaking) at the exhibition in the Russian Museum is devoted to a separate part of the exposition. There are also sketches of the costumes of the Snow Maiden and Father Frost for the play “The Snow Maiden” to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov (1922), which “blew up” the Chicago auditorium, and a sketch for Maeterlinck’s “Sister Beatrice” (Musical Drama Theater, later BDT), a sketch of the scenery for the production Moscow Art Theater "Peer Gynt" (1912) ...

6. In search of Shambhala

In 1923, the spiritual quest of Nicholas Roerich brought him to Bombay. In 1928 he bought a house in India and never left that country. It was here that he turned from a public figure into a political figure (which in the 1990s gave rise to many yellow newspapers new Russia call Roerich a KGB officer). He advocated the unification of Eastern and Western Buddhists.

"Nicholas Roerich became the only Russian who was awarded the title of "Maharishi" by the Hindus, which means "great sage" in Sanskrit."

The exhibition at the Russian Museum deliberately avoids the theme of the occult, with which Roerich's name is inextricably linked. However, it is impossible not to say about his search for Shambhala, the mystical land of the great sages. It was the search for Shambhala that became the real reason Roerich organized the Central Asian expedition.
However, despite the spiritual throwing, social activities and two nominations for Nobel Prize for the so-called Roerich Pact, Nicholas Roerich never stopped working as a painter. The exhibition presents his "Himalayan cycle" (which in total consisted of about 2000 works). But the real event of the exposition can be called a series of his Tibetan studies: almost all of them, several dozen tempera sketches, are exhibited for the first time.

7. End of the road

After the end of World War II, Nicholas Roerich requested a visa to Soviet Union: He really wanted to return to his homeland. Almost all of his belongings were packed and ready for transportation when he died on December 13, 1947. And shortly after that, Roerich's Indian address received a refusal of a visa, which he, fortunately, did not wait for.
According to Roerich's will, his ashes were scattered. In the Kullu Valley, on the site of a funeral pyre, a large rectangular stone was erected with the inscription: “On December 15, 1947, the body of Maharishi Nicholas Roerich, the great Russian friend of India, was set on fire here. Let there be peace."
The artist's legacy includes about 7,000 works. Everything that he created, Roerich bequeathed to his country. Therefore, when the widow of the artist Helena Roerich died, their son Yuri returned from India to the Soviet Union and brought with him all his father's heritage. The second son of Nicholas and Helena Roerich, Svyatoslav, remained to live in India. The Roerich family was interrupted: neither Yuri nor Svyatoslav had children.

Everyone who is not indifferent to the spiritual world of Asian countries and the philosophical currents of the East should have at least heard the name Roerich. The artist-philosopher Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, during his long and eventful life, made a real revolution in the cultural worldview not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the world.

The personality of both Nikolai Konstantinovich himself and his family are covered with a mysterious mystical aura of knowledge revealed to him, and the painter's paintings are imbued with the spirit of wisdom and eternity, having the property not only to show the past, but also to look into the future.

Few people know about its existence, although it is located in the very center of Moscow in old manor Lopukhins (Maly Znamensky per., 3/5). There, in 1993, the first exposition of paintings and personal belongings of Roerich took place. The museum began its activities after many years of "war" for the heritage of the artist's family. The interests of the state were affected, officials and other private individuals fought for the property of the Roerichs, and therefore the museum is still experiencing difficulties: the consequences of this confrontation are affecting.

But, despite long litigation, the staff of the Center of the Roerichs managed to create within its walls an atmosphere that attunes visitors to the perception and understanding of the works and teachings of Nicholas Konstantinovich. After all, the key element of the Roerichs' heritage is precisely the teaching of "Agni Yoga" or "Living Ethics". A new worldview system, indicating the connection of mankind with the infinite space, views on the cultural and political evolution of man through knowledge sent from above, was formed through communication with the Teachers of India. "Living Ethics" interpreted the symbols of Buddhism and traditional beliefs of the peoples of Asia in a new way. Shambhala, karma, Mother of the World - these images regularly appeared in the eastern series of paintings by Nicholas Roerich.

In the very first hall of the museum, you are literally immersed in the world of symbols of the artist's teachings. This effect is created by a series of works by Nina Volkova, tracing the stages of the "cosmic" evolution of man. The paintings are made in gold tones and appeal to ancient and religious myths. And although this is the author's interpretation of Roerich's teachings, it allows you to tune in to the correct perception of the artist's works.

The following exhibits of the museum introduce you to the formation of a great artist, not only as a person, but also as a philosopher. Passing from the St. Petersburg Hall to the Russian one, one can see the entire history of the Roerich family and the path of its representatives in art.

And the Hall of Living Ethics acquaints visitors with the spiritual development of the family. It contains canvases with images the brightest figures spiritual world, as well as episodes from their lives. The center of the hall is a stand with busts of people who, according to the Living Ethics, were called "Messengers of Cosmic Evolution". These are outstanding figures from different stages of the history of human development: Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, Einstein and even Tsiolkovsky.

Adjacent to this hall is the Hall of the Teachers, Spiritual Guides and Sages of India. This clearly demonstrates that the Roerichs were not only artists, but also followers of the ancient teaching, which they carried around the world during their travels, expeditions and exhibitions.

But their philosophy was much broader - it not only overcame the borders between states, but also conquered outer space. This is clearly seen in the Hall of the Banner of Peace. The Banner of Peace is not only a spiritual symbol, but also a completely material one.

After all, it became the emblem of the Roerich Pact, the first international legal act declaring the protection of cultural property. The initiative was supported by many states and elevated Roerich's personality to the rank of a world scale.

Center-Museum. N.K. Roerich today opens the doors to visitors not only to the house of art of the great artist and his family, but also to the temple of science and teaching, which has overcome world and temporal space.

"International Center of the Roerichs" in Maly Znamensky Lane got into a "cultural" scandal, but this story is not about art, but about fraud. In the early morning of March 7, investigators and representatives of the OMON entered the private museum. During the search, more than 200 paintings and drawings by Nicholas Roerich were seized.

This is illegal, - Vice-President of the ICR Alexander Stetsenko will say later at a press conference. - In our opinion, this is an armed seizure of the museum under the pretext of investigating the criminal case of the collapsed Master Bank.

The shocked museum staff did not want to let the OMON officers in. They had to break open the doors and still pack the paintings of Nicholas Roerich in 57 boxes and take them out for examination.

We were told that they were purchased with the "stolen" money of Boris Bulochnik, who for many years was a patron of the "International Center of the Roerichs," said Alexander Stetsenko.

Who is the Baker?

Boris Ilyich until 2013 was the chairman of the board of Master Bank, until the Central Bank of Russia learned that Bulochnik and his partners had carried out large-scale dubious operations. Master-Bank's license to operate was revoked banking operations. The baker, according to media reports, robbed his investors of almost 70 billion rubles. By the way, the International Center of the Roerichs also kept its savings on the accounts of this bank and lost about 4.5 million rubles. But the law enforcement agencies failed to detain Boris Ilyich - he fled through the back door of the administration and left for Israel. Later, according to some reports, he returned with his wife to his homeland - to the Vinnitsa region of Ukraine. The disappeared banker was put on the federal and international wanted list, and the Tverskoy Court of Moscow in April 2016 sanctioned in absentia the arrest of Bulochnik, accused of the deliberate bankruptcy of a credit institution.

But in the museum they don’t even want to hear about the dubious lines of the biography, they speak only positively about Boris Ilyich. For almost fifteen years he was their philanthropist - he allocated funds for the restoration of the Lopukhins' estate, where the museum is now based. The banker was allegedly so fascinated by Roerich's work that the Baker bought up more than 30 Roerich's paintings at auctions and donated them to the museum. Each painting cost 2-3 million dollars, now for some exhibits they ask for even more - 12 million dollars each.

We don't know where the Baker is now. After a criminal case was brought against him, he did not appear in the museum, ”Olga Mironova, head of the development department of the N.K. Museum, told Komsomolskaya Pravda. Roerich. - You should have seen him with his wife - these are the most modest people. When they came to their house with a search, there was nothing to take for the confiscation of valuables.

What paintings were taken?

The exact number is not called in the museum itself. They say up to 200. Among them, there are only nine paintings that were donated by Boris Bulochnik.

What about the rest of the pictures? What was seized? I asked.

These are paintings and drawings by Roerich, which appeared in our museum from 2002 to 2017. But they can’t name which ones specifically - we were warned not to disclose such information, since it is a state secret, ”said Alexander Stetsenko, Vice President of the ICR. - I'll tell you that for all the paintings that Boris Ilyich gave us, he has no property rights. We don’t have any documents either – they were taken away during the seizure of the paintings. There is reason to believe that later the Ministry of Culture will generally say that we do not have documents for the paintings.

So far, the department has not publicly reacted to these accusations. But a law enforcement source said that the searches at the museum had nothing to do with the Russian Ministry of Culture.

- For a long time the Baker was one of the main sponsors, but who is now?

This is open information - we are a public organization created on the initiative of Svyatoslav Roerich (author's note - the son of Nicholas Roerich). It has a certain number of members, there is a charter ...

They did not name the names of influential sponsors, but fundraising is ongoing, even on the territory of the museum - there are transparent boxes with requests for help. On the other hand, they voiced the idea that the Ministry of Culture has long been “hunting” for the cultural values ​​that the private Museum them. N.K. Roerich. Here they are worried that the paintings will be sold or given to the State Museum of Oriental Arts, and the Lopukhins' estate will be completely taken away from them.

We have had an unofficial “war” with the state museum for a long time. After all, there is part of the Roerich collection, mostly there early work, which were drawn in Russia - before the artist left for India, - says one of the museum employees. – But, if we have a tag with parameters for each painting, because Svyatoslav Roerich himself gave us the paintings before the collapse of the USSR, then there – all the numbers do not agree. We have doubts about authenticity. And if they want to take away our collection from us, which is much larger, then they will even have nowhere to place it. We have already heard that the paintings were taken not to the Investigative Committee, but to the State Museum of Oriental Art.

Why was Roerich's office closed?

To find out information, I go to Nikitsky Boulevard, where the State Museum of Oriental Art is located. It has two halls with paintings by Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerich and a memorial office with personal belongings.

Only the office is closed from today, - the cashier tells me at the entrance.

- Why? I'm interested.

They didn't explain to us. They said to say that for technical reasons. Although the renovation seems to have been completed recently.

True, there is a white chair under the entrance door to the memorial office. And the employee in the hall says that I should come tomorrow.

- Have the paintings from the Roerich Museum been brought to you yet? Where can you see them?- I ask, referring to information from the media.

Well, so far this has not been discussed. There will still be judgment. But, if they decide so, then you will read about the updated exposition on our official website - do not read the rest, - says the museum employee.

Returning to the cashier, I asked to be let in tomorrow in the very office that mysterious circumstances was closed.

They won't open tomorrow. Come back in a month, or better in two, when everything is over, - interrupting our conversation, the museum guard said.

- What will end?- I clarify.

Well, the whole story.

MIA OFFICIALLY

The seized paintings of Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerich were purchased by the former chairman of the board of one of the capital's banks with funds stolen from a credit institution, - said the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Irina Volk.

Investigators found that Boris Bulochnik, acting as part of an organized group, entered into a number of fictitious loan agreements with more than 170 individuals and 200 legal entities. It is known that he was the sponsor of the Museum. N.K. Roerich, where in the period from 1990 to 2010 he donated paintings by Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerich, purchased with funds received by affiliated individuals on fictitious bank loans. On this fact, a criminal case was initiated on the grounds of a crime under the article "Intentional bankruptcy", which was later reclassified under the article "Fraud" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

LAWYER'S OPINION

Lawyer Oleg Pavlovich answered the questions of Komsomolskaya Pravda.

- Did the investigators have the right to seize the paintings before the trial?

If a criminal case has been initiated, then during the period of its investigation, it is also allowed to conduct an inspection, search and seizure of things that in the future may be recognized as the subjects of a crime. They can be transferred to safekeeping or left where they were. If later the court finds that the accused people are not guilty, then the material evidence is returned. If the court decision is different, then the things are transferred to the owner or the state.

- And the museum staff should have been warned about the search, about the arrival of the riot police?

No. This is done most often if people are guilty so that they do not have time to hide the traces of the crime. In this case, destroy the paintings or hide them. The meaning of the search is that it is carried out suddenly.