HP TO DEVELOP ROERICH ART GALLERY: CM

SHIMLA : Himachal Pradesh government has said it will restore the house of noted Russian painter and philosopher Nicholas Roerich in Kullu district’s Naggar village.

“Roerich estate in Naggar was the anchor point for the International Roerich Memorial Trust which attracted hearts and minds of Russians and Indians,” chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Friday. “The state government will send a comprehensive proposal to the Union ministry of culture for getting grant,” he said.

The decision was taken at the 18th meeting of the International Roerich Memorial Trust where Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev was also present.

The CM said the Roerich Memorial estate in Naggar was the anchor point for the Roerich trust which had been attracting the hearts and minds of the Russians and Indians as the spiritual quintessence of relationship between the two countries. He added that the governments of India and Russia had been contributing significantly for the maintenance and development of this Trust.

Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev said Russian embassy was willing to cooperate closely with the state government to handle the issues of maintaining, preserving and restoring this museum.he added that around 300 paintings were donated by artists to the trust, prints of some of which will be auctioned.

Roerich came to Kullu in 1927 and purchased an estate in Naggar, located25 km from Kullu town. He died in Naggar on December 13, 1947, and created more than 7,000 paintings.

He initiated a world-wide movement to conserve cultural monuments, his wife Helena, sons Yuri and Svetosla, and Svetoslav’s wife, Devika Rani stayed with him at Naggar.