On 18 May, SPbGASU will open a cultural and educational photo exhibition “Beauty of antiquity – the foundation of the present and a bridge to the future” (devoted to the 120th anniversary of Nicholas Roerich’s journey through ancient Russian cities).

The exhibition was organized by the St Petersburg branch of the International Center of the Roerichs with the support of the Consulate General of India in St Petersburg.

In 1903–1904 the artist, writer and public figure Nicholas Roerich together with his wife Elena Ivanovna visited more than 40 cities associated with important stages of Russian history. The purpose of the journey was to study the roots of Russian culture.

During the expedition, Nicholas and Helena Roerich collected ancient legends and fabels, studied the methods of composition and combination of colors in ancient icon painting. Simultaneously with scientific and artistic tasks, a number of actions were planned in the cultural and educational sphere: lectures on the results of the journey, publications in various journals, replication of views of cities visited in postcards with the transfer of proceeds in favor of the Red Cross, etc.

The result of the journey was not only a large series of paintings by the artist - more than 90 architectural sketches, in which the diversity and richness of ancient Russian architecture was widely shown. In articles following it, Nicholas Roerich was one of the first to raise the question of the enormous artistic value of ancient Russian icon painting and architecture. These thoughts, years later, will be embodied in the agreement "On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments", which became known as the Roerich Pact.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on 18 May at 14:00 in the exhibition hall of the SPbGASU Faculty of Architecture at the address: 4, 2nd Krasnoarmeiskaya str., St Petersburg.