Today, there are many Roerich societies with many different names worldwide; creating a unity among these is a great goal, its attainment can enact the fusion of different qualities, inherent in different cultures.
When the Roerich couple were still active, some followers started to spread their work, in particular in North and South America. Among the first people I wish to remember are Sina Fosdick, Katherine Campbell and Frances Grant. At the same time, in Latvia the poet Richard Rudzitis established the Latvian Roerich Society, followed by the Roerich Societies in the other Baltic States. On the 10th October 1937 the Roerich Museum was opened in Riga which housed Roerich’s paintings. On that occasion Roberto Assagioli, the founder of Psychosynthesis, sent a letter from Italy to support the art and the overall work of the Roerichs and he received warm thanks from Nikolaj.
Later, after their parents’ death, Yurij and Svetoslav continued spreading their work. Yurij succeeded in returning to Russia at the beginning of the sixties, after the opening of the country promoted by Nikita Krusciov. Nikolaj and Elena could not attain this goal.
Thanks to these first initiatives, their artistic and literary work started to spread increasingly in many countries. The Corona Mundi group in Geneva promoted the translation of the books of Agni Yoga in a number of languages. Also among them, the exemplary translation into Italian by Enzio Savoini.
Today, there are many Roerich societies with many different names worldwide. But there is not an organization creating a living network of connections among them. On the contrary, until a few years ago a relevant conflict occurred among some societies with their seats in Russia and USA. The questions arising spontaneously are: why a Russian couple received the Teaching of Agni Yoga? Why were they forced to leave their home country? Why did they start to receive the Teaching in London and then in New York? Further, why did they move to India – to the Himalayan mountains – continuing to work there for 30 years?
All these questions can receive, at present, an important answer, although it cannot be the only possible answer. Their pilgrimage of life represents a subtle linking thread between East and West, between Asia and Western countries. This task belongs to Russia, not only for its geographic position, but mainly for a superior mandate. It is a great goal to establish such a unity. Its attainment can enact the fusion of different qualities, inherent in different cultures. This richness can be shared, beyond the boundaries built by uman beings. The Teaching of Agni Yoga brings this New World, a world of unity and peaceful sharing of different cultures. Nikolaj Roerich said: “Where there is culture, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is culture”. We want to concentrate our commitment towards this goal.
Giuseppe Campanella 