George Roerich – Light of the Morning Star
(By Tsem Rinpoche, Pastor Niral and Pastor Shin)
George Roerich, born Yuri Nikolayevich Roerich in 1902, is known as one of the world’s greatest Tibetologists and linguists. Yuri is the Russian version of the name George. It is said that he could speak over 30 languages and dialects from Europe and Asia. He was a brilliant scholar, explorer and expert in Eastern religion, philosophy and culture. His story and works have left a long and lasting impact in Tibetan studies.
George Roerich (left) with his famous father Nicholas Roerich (center) and brother Svetoslav Roerich (right)
Early life and education
George was born the son of Nicholas Roerich, a Russian painter, writer, spiritualist, philosopher and Tibet enthusiast; and his wife Helena Roerich. He was born in the town of Okoulovka of the Novgorod Province of St. Petersburg, Russia, on August 16, 1902. He spent much of his childhood and early adult years in St. Petersburg, and had an extremely keen interest in strategy, which came across through a fascination with military science and history. It was in a letter that his mother once wrote:
“The elder son showed love for history and tin soldiers. He had thousands of them. His passion for the art of war has survivied until now. Strategy is his pet subject. By the way, this talent is inborn, and he is very proud of his ancestor – field-marshal Mikhail Golenischev-Kutuzov, the hero of the war of 1812”
– Letter written by Helena Roerich, February 25, 1953.
In fact it was at the tender age of only 15 years that George Roerich began studying the ancient history of the Egyptians with the famous scientist and Egyptologist Boris Turayev. It was also around this time that George started to study the first of many languages he would later master – Mongolian – with Andrei Dmeitryevich Roudnev.
George Roerich was talented, motivated and driven from a young age. He had a keen interest in strategy and cultural history.
At school, his work and paintings showcased his broad interests, artistic ability and talents. Once graduating from the Karl May School in St. Petersburg, he enrolled to study Indian and Iranian languages at the London University School for Oriental Languages, currently known as the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. It was there that he excelled in all fields, especially in languages and linguistics. He studied Sanskrit and Pali under Professor Edward Denison Ross, a famous Indologist. He was even once introduced as “the best Sanskrit student” to the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs, who had gone to the University for a visit.
Following this he entered Harvard University in Massachusetts, after he had left for the USA with his parents in 1920. Studying under Professor Charles Rockwell Lanman, he mastered Sanskrit. There his love for languages increased, and he began to study Pali and Chinese languages, all the while keeping up his studies at the Indian Philology Department. Philology is the study of the structure, historical development and relationships of languages. He was only 18 years old at the time, showcasing his brilliance and striking ability. It was at Harvard University that he graduated with both Bachelor and Master degrees. But his thirst for learning was not quenched, so he enrolled at the School for Oriental Languages at the University of Paris. It was in 1923 that he graduated with a Master degree in Indian Philology, while also having studied at the Military Department and Department of Law and Economy. He also worked at the Central-Asian, Mongolian and Tibetan Departments of the School when he was studying there.
Travel to Asia
Aged 21, George’s personal quest for knowledge had led him to begin independent scientific research, when he moved to India with his family in 1923. His father, Nicholas Roerich, led the family in long distance traveling around India in 1924. His father even took them for small expeditions around Sikkim, and the kingdom of Bhutan.
George Roerich with his mother Helena Roerich during their Central Asian expedition
It was during these trips that George composed what would later turn into his brilliant book called “Tibetan Paintings” first published in 1925 in Paris. He was only 23 years old at the time, but no other work since then compares to his work in regards to scientific research and his clear presentation. The information compiled in this book was gathered from the Buddhist scholar-lama L. M. Dorje, who was originally tasked with improving George’s spoken Tibetan language, but turned out to be an invaluable asset in the study of Tibetan religious art.
George was then given one of the major roles in the Central Asian expedition, that of the safety of everyone who was on the journey. It was here that his childhood fascination with military science, which he was still interested in, came to be more than useful. His knowledge, skills, abilities and bravery saved the expedition members on a number of occasions. He also acted as the expedition’s translator, as he could speak fluent Mongolian, Tibetan and a host of other Central Asian languages. In doing so he was able to engage research and gather information about the countries they visited, without which the expedition would have been lost. His achievements during the expedition were written down and published as his work “Along the Paths of Central Asia” in 1931. This was the work that brought him to the forefront of the field of scientific research and explorers of Asia.
Achievements – Published works
George visited and studied with Tibetan Buddhist lamas on his expeditions
George Roerich is mostly remembered for his significant contributions to the fields of art, history and culture. In fact his work “The Animal Style Among the Nomads of Northern Tibet”, published in 1930, became significant in the field of scientific research, after his discovery of menhirs (tall upright stones erected for a specific purpose), cromlechs (altar-tombs of large flat stones laid on top of upright stones) and stone graves during the Central Asian expedition.
His works as a great social scientist did not go unnoticed by those of his time. He was elected a member of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, the Asiatic society in Bengal, the Paris Geographic Society, the American Archeological and Ethnographic societies, as well as many others.
Achievements – Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute
Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute, founded by George Roerich, currently located in Naggar, Kulu Valley, India
One of George Roerich’s major achievements was the founding of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute in July 1928, Naggar, Kulu Valley. This was where the scientific research material collected by the Central Asian expedition was housed. After its founding George remained the Institute’s Director for 10 years. In regards to Urusvati’s goals, he stated:
“Comprehension of the main ways of mankind’s development is a step to understanding one’s own personality. Turning back to the past, we reveal the present for ourselves… A forgotten civilization is concealed in the mountains; it keeps ancient wisdom and culture. It is here that the science which has found itself in a deadlock can find its renovation. Ancient wisdom is the key with which archeologist and naturalist open secrets of the Oriental culture… Again a time is coming when the Oriental knowledge penetrates into our life and subordinates to itself science”
– George Roerich. Tibet and Central Asia, 1999
In regards to the Institute, George’s father, Nicholas Roerich once wrote:
The “Urusvati” place of research, place of science, must be built in the Himalayas, within the borders of ancient Aryavarta. Again the human spirit, purified by the continuous currents of the Himalayas, will search in tireless labor. Medicinal herbs, medical research, wonderful magnetic and electric currents, the unique conditions of the heights, the unique luminescence of the planetary bodies and their astrochemical rays, radioactivity, and inexpressible treasures are preserved only in the Himalayas… In these places where the great wisdom of the Rig-Vedas was crystallized, where Mahatmas themselves passed, here, in the caves and on the mountain tops, the power of human thought accumulated!
– Nicholas Roerich
George Roerich standing at the front entrance of the institute
Built on a narrow slope across the road from the Roerich house, the institute occupies two buildings among shady trees. The institute’s name “Urusvati” means the “light of the morning star” in Sanskrit. Today the institute houses a memorial research library and some of the Roerich’s collections from their Central Asian expedition. In its heyday the institute was ahead of its time, blending both scientific discoveries with the ancient knowledge of the east. It was place of great learning and included an Archaeology Department, departments dedicated to the natural sciences, Tibetan medicine, the cultural history of various Asian peoples, philology, astronomy, astrophysics, biology and chemistry. It was here that the idea of interlacing scientific and spiritual ways of comprehension, as well as empirical science and metaphysical science took birth.
“The Station must develop into a City of Knowledge…. We wish to give a synthesis of all achievements in this City. That is why subsequently all fields of science should be represented in it. And since knowledge has the whole Cosmos as its source, the fellows of this scientific station must belong to the whole world, that is, to all nations…”
– Helena Roerich
The institute became on the most distinguished learning centers of its time due to the high level of study carried out there. The institute was well known for carrying out expeditions into the Himalayan region, in effort to study flora and fauna, adding considerably to the biological, geographical and even archaeological collections during that time.
Svetoslav Roerich, brother of George Roerich
Unfortunately, due to the financial crisis and World War II looming ever closer, activities at the institute ceased. Scientific equipment was dismantled, and collections packed into wooden boxes and stored in special cupboards in the institute’s administrative building. During his lifetime, George’s brother, Svetoslav had approached both Soviet and Russian scholars and scientists to aid in the institute’s revival to no avail. At present, scholars at both the International Roerich Memorial Trust and the International Centre of the Roerichs are developing the concept of once again reviving Urusvati to its former glory, based on the Roerich’s ideals. As Helena Roerich was noted as saying:
“Let us not forget that the Kullu valley that has accumulated in itself all the great names of humanity starting from Manu, Buddha, Arjuna to all the Pandava heroes, Vyasa, Gesser Khan, is an exceptional area whose scientific value is only beginning to be revealed, but even at this stage it strikes with its plentiful research material… The most fruitful work, and it is clear already now, will be done by the Institute in the fields of history, archaeology, linguistics, botany, geology and physics.”
– Helena Roerich
Further Travels
Between 1934 and 1935, George travelled with his father Nicholas Roerich to what was then known as Manchuria, and Inner Mongolia. The purpose of the expedition was to collect seeds that belong to drought resistant plants that prevent the erosion of soil and the spreading of pests. On top of this, the expedition was focused on the creation of agricultural cooperatives, based on public collaboration. The expedition was initiated and originally organised by the US Department of Agriculture.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
Even though George had spent most of his adult life away from his motherland, he still remained Russian at heart, and had never changed citizenship despite his travels and long periods of time in India. When Germany had attacked the Soviet Union, he had wanted to join the Red Army as a volunteer, but his request was refused.
It was only in 1957 with the help of Nikita Khrushchev, a shrewd politician who became the leader of the country, and someone that George had met during an official trip to India that Krushchev had made, was his Soviet citizenship granted. Living in Moscow, he became the head of the Section of Indian Philosophy and History of Religions, at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR. In Russia he was able to establish the Russian school of Tibetan Studies, and was even able to get Sanskrit taught in the USSR for the first time. Thereby he single-handedly revived Oriental Studies in the country, with work resuming on the translation and publications of texts on the ancient philosophy of the East.
Some of his most notable works surrounded the philosophical systems of Buddhism. He re-established the series of publications entitled “Biblioteca Buddhica” which was originally founded by Sergey Oldenburg of Leningrad in 1897. Sergey Oldenburg was a pioneering Orientalist in Russia, and the series he founded discussed Buddhist philosophy, religion and art. While in Russia, George also edited two texts that became important in the study of Buddhism and Indian philosophy in the USSR – “Tibetan Historical Literature” by Vostrikov, and the “Dhammapada” which was a collection of Buddha’s spoken teachings.
George Roerich in Russia
The USSR authorities had, up until that point in time, been spreading a negative impression of the Roerich family, due to their involvement with institutions from other countries. However it was George that returned the good name of the family and in particular of his parents back to Russia. Unfortunately both Nicholas and Helena Roerich never returned to Russia, even though it had been their dream, as they had both passed away in India. Nicholas Roerich had passed away in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh, while Helena Roerich passed away in Kalimpong, West Bengal. As testament to his parents, George had brought to the USSR more than 500 paintings by his father, an extensive library, and many priceless items.
George’s efforts led to the distorted impression, lies and slander against his parents and family being torn apart. In fact it was on his advocacy and work that academics and the general population came to love the Roerich family instead. It was due to his support that the first exhibitions of Nicholas Roerich’s works were organised. The first was held in Moscow in April 1958, followed by many others in Leningrad, Riga, Kiev, Tbolisi, and many other major cities.
George exposed people in the USSR to eastern philosophy. This major shift led to the creation of a cultural movement surrounding the Roerich family and the eastern philosophies that they brought to the people of the USSR.
Manuscripts
One of George Roerich’s works that was not published during his lifetime was “The History of Middle Asia”. This work discussed the cultural history spanning from the Caucasus to Greater Khingan in northeast China, and from the Himalayan region to the Altai Mountain ranges (which lies between Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan). It details cultural formation in this vast territory of Eurasia. It had remained in handwritten form, which he had worked on for many years, and even though he had planned to complete the work, he never did manage to. Luckily, the International Center for the Roerichs, an institution dedicated to the lives and works of the pioneering and important Roerich family, have published the 1st volume of this fascinating study.
Legacy
George Roerich had petitioned the government to create a Nicholas Roerich Museum to house the various works he had brought with him. He gifted the Russian Museum 350 and the Novosibirsk Art Gallery 60 of his father’s paintings on the condition that they be permanently displayed. However the Russian Museum did not set up a permanent display of the work during George’s lifetime. To this day most of these paintings have never been on display for the public to view and remain in the dark and cold depths of its storage rooms.
Despite this, George Roerich’s achievements in various scholarly fields are outstanding, but more importantly his indomitable spirit and shining personality are what he is remembered for. Just like the name “Urusvati”, George was the light of the morning star in terms of personality, tenacity and drive that sought to merge scientific discoveries with the ancient wisdom of the East. As his brother, Svetoslav Roerich mentions:
“Yuri Roerich is the image of a true, inspired scientist and thinker, a man of the highest spiritual harmony. He was well aware that the highest achievement of man is the self-improvement of his personality, and that only due to constant work on himself and development of his qualities a man, striving for a more perfect life, could comprehensively enrich his occupation and raise it above the level of routine”
– Svetoslav Roerich, Recollections About Yuri Roerich
George Roerich passed away on May 21, 1960, when he was 58 years old. His remains were cremated and then buried at the New Maiden Cemetery in Moscow.
Professor Bira on George Roerich and his family
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/BiraAboutRoerich.mp4
George Roerich had a great impact on the lives of academics, explorers, and historians for generations to come. Here we see the Mongolian academic Professor Bira talk about the Roerichs and his encounters with them. In fact George Roerich was one of his teachers. The above interview is a part of a larger series of interviews with Professor Bira, which you can watch by clicking the link below:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/BiraInterview.mp4
Pictures of George Roerich
Nicholas Roerich, with Svetoslav Roerich (left) and George Roerich (right).
George started drawing at a young age.
George had a keen interest in strategy and the military
The Roerich family: Nicholas Roerich, Helena Roerich, George Roerich & Svetoslav Roerich at Kulu in the 1940s.
Returning after four years in Central Asia, Nicholas Roerich and George Roerich are shown as they arrived in New York City on the S.S. Majestic
George Roerich was known for his learning and scholarly ability
Svetoslav Roerich (left) and George Roerich (right), Kalimpong, India in the 1950s.
Svetoslav Roerich (left) and George Roerich (right), at the location where Helena Roerich’s body was cremated in Kalimpong, India. Picture taken in October 1955.
George Roerich at the opening of Nicholas Roerich’s painting exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts. May 1960
Books
George Roerich was a prolific author with many of his titles published. Here are just some of his major works.
 |
 |
| The Blue Annals (download PDF) |
Trails To Inmost Asia (download PDF) |
The texts above were sourced from a legitimate book-hosting service offering these texts for free download. It is made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
Other works include:
- de Roerich, George (1925). Tibetan Paintings. Paris: Paul Geuthner.
- de Roerich, George (1930). The Animal Style Among the Nomads of Northern Tibet. Prague: Seminarium Kondakovianum.
- de Roerich, George (1931). “Modern Tibetan Phonetics: With special reference to the Dialect of Central Tibet.” Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 27.1: 285-312.
- de Roerich, George (1932). Review of Jäschke 1881. Journal of Urusvati 2: 165-169.
- de Roerich, George (1933). Dialects of Tibet: The Tibetan Dialect of Lahul. (Tibetica 1) New York: Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute of Roerich Museum.
- de Roerich, George (1958). Le Parler de l’Amdo: Étude d’un Dialecte Archaïque du Tibet. (Serie Orientale Roma 18). Rome: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente.
- de Roerich, George Nicolas ( 11 vols., 1983–1993 ). Tibetsko-russko-angliiskii slovar: s sanskritskimi paralleliami. Tibetan-Russian-English dictionary with Sanskrit parallels. Y. Parfionovich and V. Dylykova, eds. Moscow: Izd-vo “Nauka,” Glav. red. vostochnoi lit-ry / Central Department of Oriental Literature.
- de Roerich, George N. and Tse-Trung Lopsang Phuntshok (1957). Textbook of colloquial Tibetian: dialect of central Tibet. Calcutta: Govt. of West Bengal, Education Dept., Education Bureau.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_de_Roerich#Works
Tibetan Paintings
One of his most influential works is “Tibetan Paintings” which he authored at the tender age of only 23. In the work, presented below, he charts the historical origins and development of Tibetan religious art, and a critical analysis of these works of sacred art.
Tibetan Paintings
(download PDF)
Tibetan Paintings was ground breaking as it not only gave detailed descriptions of various Buddhas and deities but also because it included rare photographs of Tibetan Buddhist thangkas and paintings.
 |
 |
 |
| Ushnisha Sitatapatra. Click to enlarge. | Buddha and the sixteen great Arhats. Click to enlarge. | Arhats. Click to enlarge. |
 |
 |
 |
| Arhats. Click to enlarge. | Arhats. Click to enlarge. | Buddha and his two great disciples. Click to enlarge. |
 |
 |
 |
| Vajrakila. Click to enlarge. | Samvara. Click to enlarge. | 6-armed Mahakala. Click to enlarge. |
 |
 |
 |
| Maitreya. Click to enlarge. | Maitreya of Tashi Lhunpo. Click to enlarge. | Avalokiteshvara. Click to enlarge. |
 |
 |
 |
| Avalokiteshvara. Click to enlarge. | Simhananda Lokeshvara. Click to enlarge. | Mandala of Amoghapasha. Click to enlarge. |
 |
 |
 |
| Padmasambhava. Click to enlarge. | Copper Mountain Pure Land. Click to enlarge. | Gyalwa Tsongkhapa. Click to enlarge. |
The text above were sourced from a legitimate book-hosting service offering these texts for free download. It is made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
For more interesting information:
- Kazi Dawa Samdup: a Pioneering Translator of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
- Professor Garma C.C. Chang -The Illustrious Pioneer
- Herbert Guenther – Master of Languages & Buddhism
- Nicholas Roerich & art (1874-1947)
- Nicholas Roerich – (1874-1947)
- Ekai Kawaguchi – Three Years in Tibet
- In the Footsteps of Joseph Rock
- Alexandra David-Néel
- Aghori
- The Russian Princess Buddhist Nun
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Thank you, Pastor Shin, for this inspiring article. It is inspiring to read the biography of George Roerich a man of the highest spiritual harmony in 20th century Tibetologist. He is one of the greatest orientalists, linguists, and encyclopedists of the century. Inspiring of a man who could speak fluently more than 30 European and Asian languages and dialects . He was a brilliant expert in Eastern culture, religion and philosophy , having spent more than 35 years abroad living in India, Mongolia ,Tibet and . As a distinguished encyclopedic-scientist, he was well known in many countries around the world. His incredible work of thangkas paintings which he authored at the tender age of only 23 and books remained a legacy.
For another style or colour, check out hair dryers
in the Berta variety ! But I discovered as I climbed which most people don’t.
For children, those that are exposed to EMFs and anybody with risk variables that are extra, it might be a great idea.
For additional shine, you should try the button which reduces locks and
frizz . The therapy can protect your hair from water and should you
opt to utilize jojoba vera therapy, you can clean your hair
once you leave the salon and it won’t frizz. Negative ions eliminate frizz and regrow hair without damaging it.
We’ve decided to include the VAV Negative Ions Hair Dryer because
of its features at a price that was fair. This professional grade hair dryer smoothness and boasts ions technology,
that’s the technology used in hair styling to provide optimum shine.
Revlon has existed since 1932, providing them the title of’specialists’ .
When I was very young, down the street from where I lived in Howell, New Jersey was a Kalmuck lady who was very spiritual. She was my friend at the time. She was in her 30’s and had a large collection of spiritual books of which many were on Buddhism. I would borrow books from her quite often and read. She would have read them and give me her thoughts on the books and highly recommend this one or that one. I would then read the books she recommended and we would often discuss about them. It was a very enjoyable time in my life. I miss this friend very much. Some of the books she had were from Professor Garma C.C. Chang, Govinda, Alexander David-Neel, Evans-Wentz, John Blofeld, etc.. and I read some of them. Those books inspired me so much. My conversations with this friend inspired me so much and I enjoyed her spiritual company tremendously. That was one part of my childhood that was good.
I have all these books by these great authors such as Roerich and Bill Porter also in my library now and still read them. I have made them available from Kechara for invite and also will have them in the future Kechara library coming up.
What I learn from this article is, the strength of one person’s incline and passion to achievement are uncontrollable and unlimited. George is one genuis. The fact that he can speak 30 languages is solid proof. His legacy truly benefited many also. I like his works on the Tibetan Painting which help us to understand the Buddhist painting is important element of spiritual practice. Thank you Rinpoche,Pastor Shin and Pastor Niral for sharing the amazing works of George Roerich with the us._/\_
George is one genuis. The fact that he can speak 30 languages is solid proof. His tenacity is also for all to see. Despite all the challenges and struggles he faces during the time where information and technology is not advanced like these days, he kept doing what he did and never stopped working to improve his knowledge and contribute to the society for his research. He is a legend and example for many to follow.
Hello, Dear Rinpoche ?
And Hello Dear all ?
The work of George Roerich is amazing, He had a deep interest, He is the genius men.
What I learn from this article is, the strength of one person’s incline and passion to achievement are uncontrollable and unlimited. Thank you Rinpoche and pastor’s for sharing this article.
Thank you
Raj Kumar.
30 types of language, his learning ability is really superb,and of course, his passion of learning is amazing. George is really an amazing person.
Despite with the limited info he can get during the technology at that time, but due to his effort and hard work, he has accomplished so much and done so much research for hiswork.
His Tibetan painting is really great, I like especially the Buddha pictures. But sadly the painting he gave to Russia is still kept in the storeroom and not displaying in the museum.
The work of George Roerich is amazing. He had a deep interest and was in encouraging environment through his parents. Quote: [Some of his most notable works surrounded the philosophical systems of Buddhism. He re-established the series of publications entitled “Biblioteca Buddhica” which was originally founded by Sergey Oldenburg of Leningrad in 1897.] It is interesting to see his amazing works not only for philsophical works but also through his Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute, so many different sciences were promoted such as archaeology, natural sciences, Tibetan medicine, cultural history of various Asian peoples, philology, astronomy, astrophysics, biology and chemistry. The word “Urusvati” means the “light of the morning star” in Sanskrit language.
Thank you Pastor Shin and Pastor Niral for sharing the amazing works of George Roerich with the us.
George Roerich who never stopped at learning new things is truly inspiring. His works not only have huge impact but his wisdom of he saw no boundaries between ancient and modern or east and west . His legacy truly benefited many also. I like his works on the Tibetan Painting which help us to understand the Buddhist painting is important element of spiritual practice. Thank you for sharing this article.
George Reorich passion of learning and enthusiasm is remarkable. His ability of languages is incralible ,master 30 type of language. His and his father has contributed tibetan buddhism wise study until today. Nicholas Reorich painting has show us how much interest of their hard work of learning between different culture and bring closer people from western culture and eastern culture. George Reorich legancy will not be forgoten and inspire many of us until now about his strenge of study of knowleage with his passion.
Amazing! Another super human being!
“George Roerich had petitioned the government to create a Nicholas Roerich Museum to house the various works he had brought with him. He gifted the Russian Museum 350 and the Novosibirsk Art Gallery 60 of his father’s paintings on the condition that they be permanently displayed. However the Russian Museum did not set up a permanent display of the work during George’s lifetime. To this day most of these paintings have never been on display for the public to view and remain in the dark and cold depths of its storage rooms.”
But I wonder why the Russian do not appreciate his works..
George Reorich is brilliant. What really impressed was his capability in speaking 30 languages and dialects, which is rare talent in this century. Due to influence and strong support from his family, that lead him to great success and his works indeed inspired and benefit many.
What I learn from this article is, the strength of one person’s desire and passion to achievement are uncontrollable and unlimited. Thank you Rinpoche and pastors for sharing this article.
George Roerich is truely inspiring. Ability to learn 30 languages and dialects is not easy but his enthusiasm and passion is remarkable.
He learned everywhere he goes and his work gave an impact by exposing people in the USSR to eastern philosophy. It’s also quite touching to see how George returned the good name of the family and in particular of his parents back to Russia.
A great thank you to this brilliant scholar, explorer and expert in Eastern religion, philosophy and culture whichhave left a long and lasting impact in Tibetan studies.
He was indeed a smart person! In the beginning when I read that he could speak over 30 languages, I was already in awe. Before I continued reading, I could somehow feel that he did a lot when he was alive. And indeed, he did so much that lasted and impacted many. His family influenced him a lot I am sure, for all the wonderful deeds he did.
I really like the paintings! The colors and type of drawings are very interesting and something I’d hang in my home. Especially the father’s paintings. But such a waste that it is not appreciated. I am sure it’s worth a lot now.
Thank you Pastors, for the inspirational post. I enjoyed it very much!
What an extraordinary person George Roerich was, pursuing what he loved with so much passion. For some people who can speak a few languages is considered a good linguist but George was about to speak 30 languages and dialects! This is incredible. He is a master linguist. Not only that, he was a brilliant scholar, explorer and expert in Eastern religion, philosophy, and culture. And he lived in the early 1900s, when there was much less access to gathering information for his researches. Amazing man.
I have read throughly this important and extenst history of this important high quality human personality as it was George Roerich, no doubt that he was very important human being during his lovely life.
Thank you for this beautiful article on George Roerich, Pastor Niral and Pastor Shin. This Light of the Morning Star – as he is so aptly called for his indomitable spirit, tenacity and drive to “merge scientific discoveries with the ancient wisdom of the East” – has packed into a lifetime so many achievements. He started mastering languages and studying the ancient history of countries like Egypt at the young age of 15 to become one of the world’s greatest Tibetologists and linguists. He has been credited with the mastery of over 30 languages!
A man of many scholarly and artistic achievements as well as achievements of research and study, his crowning achievement must surely be the founding of the Urusvasti Himalaya Research Institute in Naggar, Kulu Valley. In terms of the Himalayas , George Roerich had said: “A forgotten civilization is concealed in the mountains; it keeps ancient wisdom and culture. It is here that the science which has found itself in a deadlock can find its renovation…”
Nicholas , his father , had also dreamed of the setting up of the Uruswati in the Himalayas , stating that :”In these places where the great wisdom of the Rig-Vedas was crystallized, where Mahatmas themselves passed, here, in the caves and on the mountain tops, the power of human thought accumulated!”
At the height of its fame, the institute had become one of the most distinguished learning centers of its time, with a high level of research and study and activities like expeditions into the Himalayas.In its heyday the institute was ahead of its time, blending both scientific discoveries with the ancient knowledge of the east. Unfortunately, owing to the looming financial crisis and World War II, the institute ceased operations.
George Roerich’s legacy includes many great works.One of the greatest is his composition of “Tibetan Paintings”. In this work, which he authored when he was only 23, he charted the historical origins and development of Tibetan religious art.This work contains detailed descriptions of Buddha deities and rare photos of Tibetan thangkas and paintings.
George Roerich was also instrumental in getting his parents’ and his family’s name cleared with the Russian authorities. “It was on his advocacy and work that academics and the general population came to love the Roerich family”. It was also due to his efforts that the first exhibitions of Nicholas Roerich’s works were organised in Moscow and other major cities in Russia.
George Roerich was a star that shone so very brightly in the firmament in his time.
George must have been an unusual intellect who was somewhat brought to his potential from an equally unusual family in their passion for the east. I love their pioneering artwork, field work into the mysterious Tibet and I am glad that much of what they painted and wrote about are still available for us to read.
I have always loved Nicholas Roerich’s warm, colorful and somewhat abstract paintings. I think George himself was instrumental particularly in sparking the Western interest and initial understanding of the Tibetan culture sphere especially from within the Russian perspective. It’s incredible how the work of one person can have such huge impact. From his amazing works and anecdotes, we can already catch a glimpse of an incredibly intelligent man and had received much of his life’s work was very much what his father had done. It’s good that the body of artwork and writings are being protected for posterity.
The Roerich family contributed to Tibetan buddhism being still widely studied today. It was very courageous of George to go back to Russia, at a time when the Cold War was at a peak, and spirituality eastern or western type are not exactly widely sought after in the Soviet Union then. Still during the short years he was in Russia, he created many scholars who were interested in Tibetology and indology.
Dear Pastor Shin – this article is well researched, well written and was able to portray the kind of quality George Roerich possessed in his days of a prolific researcher, historian, preserver of history and ancient wisdom. If he hadn’t done and donated generously his works to us today, we wouldn’t have such opportunity to read about his great deeds now. An enlightening article indeed and enjoyed reading it.
Hi May,
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Pastor Niral and I enjoyed working on and getting to know this Tibetologist, explorer and author. Thanks to Pastor Niral who read through much about and presented George Roerich’s amazing life in a succinct style. Pastor Niral is currently working on another explorer, I look forward to read that article soon. In the meantime, scroll up to the “For more interesting information:” section above to read about more adventurers like: Alexandra David-Néel and Ekai Kawaguchi.
George Roerich was indeed a man with strong will power Being unique, different and special …..Interesting biography of such a man doing more being from a country like Russia to benefits many in a Buddhism in Tibet and so forth. George Roerich was known for his learning ,scholarly ability ,Tibatan paintings and writing of books.He was an inspired scientist and thinker doing research of Tibetan Buddhism.He even has a collection of rare Tibetan paintings and Thangkas with detailed descriptions of various Buddhas and deities.
His work had a great impact on the lives of many and for generations to come.
“We must do that which we think we cannot.”
…. Eleanor Roosevelt
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Shin Tan for sharing this interesting biography which i do enjoyed reading.
Thank you, Pastor Shin, for this article. It is inspiring to read the biography of a strong character who keeps working on what he/she believes in against all the odds. George Roerich is one such character in my opinion. He was born to the famous Nicholas Roerich, yet George is a legacy on his own rights. He exposed people in the Soviet Union to Eastern philosophy and more importantly Buddhism.
Despite at a very striving time where the good name of his family was misconstrued due to their involvement in the institutions of other countries. George Roerich as patriotic. He meant to bring his parents back to the Soviet Unions and put his father’s work on permanent display in state-own museums. Unfortunately, these wishes did not materialize. I will certainly look forward to reading one of his books.
George Roerich and family are indeed very unusual outstanding family. I found that their talents are somehow gifted. For someone who grew up in Russia, with different culture, languages and belief, their family have ended up in the Himalayan doing much research of the culture and religion, in particular Tibetan Buddhism. I felt like this family has a very deep affinity in their past life, and their mission is to promote Buddhism to the world for greater benefits.