Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 9, 1874, the first born son of lawyer and notary, Konstantin Roerich and his wife Maria. When he was nine, a noted archeologist came to conduct explorations in the region and took young Roerich on his excavations of the local tumuli. The adventure of unveiling the mysteries of forgotten eras with his own hands sparked an interest in archeology that would last his lifetime. His father did not want him to pursue painting as a career, but rather to study law. He made a compromise, and after finishing his studies in 1893, Nicholas Roerich simultaneously entered the Saint Petersburg University (he graduated in 1898) and the Emperor’s Academy of Arts. From 1895, he studied in the studio of the famous Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi. At that time, he closely communicated with various well known artists, writers and musicians – V. Stassov, I. Repin, N. Rimsky - Korsakov, D. Grigorovich, S. Diaghilev. During his student years in Saint Petersburg Roerich had already become a member of the Russian archeological society. He had conducted numerous excavations in St. Petersburg, Pskov, Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl and Smolensk provinces. From 1904, together with Prince Putyatin, he recovered several Neolithic sites at Valdai (near Pyros lake). Roerich’s Neolithic findings excited real sensation in Russia and West Europe.

In 1897, Roerich graduated Petersburg Academy of Arts. His graduation painting “The messenger” was purchased by famous collector of Russian art P.M. Tretyakov. V.V. Stassov, well known critic of that time, highly appreciated this painting: “You certainly must visit Tolstoy … let the great writer of Russian land himself promote you in painters”. Meeting with Leo Tolstoy determined the way of young Roerich. Leo Tolstoy said to him: “Have you an occasion to pass the fast river on boat? It is necessary always to drive upstream of that place where you need or river carries you away. Then in the field of moral requirements one must drive always higher so that life all the same carries away. Let your messenger keep the rudder very high, then sail!”. Words of St.  John of Kronstadt who often visited the house of Roerich’s family also became spiritual wishes for N. Roerich: “Don’t be ailing! You will work much for the Motherland”.

Roerich worked much in historical painting. In his early period he created the following canvases: “Elders coming together” (1898), “Lamentations of Yaroslav’s daughter” (1893), “Beginning of the Russia. The Slavs” (1896), “Idols” (1901), “Building of boats” etc. N. Roerich’s original talent and pioneer search in the art were manifested in these paintings. “The distinctive Roerich’s style became already clear in the earliest paintings. It consists in Roerich’s broad approach to composition, clarity of lines, laconism, color purity, musicality, great simplicity of expression and truthfulness. His paintings were built on a deep knowledge of the historical material; they reproduce the feeling of spirit of the times and were rich in philosophical content.

At the age of 24, Nicholas Roerich became an assistant to the Director of the Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society Museum and, at the same time, assistant editor of the art magazine “Isskustvo i khudozhestvennaya promishlennost” (“The Art and Art Industry”). Three years later he occupied a position of secretary of the Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society.

In 1899, he met Helena Ivanovna Shaposhnikova. On October, 1901 their wedding took place. Helena Ivanovna became an inspiration for Nicholas Roerich. They would complement each other creatively and spiritually. In 1902, their son George was born, a future scientist - orientalist, and in 1904 – Svetoslav, a future painter and public figure.

In 1903 – 1904, N. Roerich together with his wife made a trip around old cities of Russia. They visited more than 40 cities famous for their ancient monuments. The aim of this “trip over the ancient times” was studying the roots of the Russian culture. The trip resulted not only to a large series of paintings (near 90 sketches), but also to some of N. Roerich’s articles, in which he was one of the first to raise the issue of a great artistic value of the old Russian icon painting and architecture.

N. Roerich as painter worked in the field of easel, monumental painting (frescoes, mosaics) and also theatrical - decorative painting. In 1906, he created 12 sketches for the church in Golubev’s estate Parkhomovka near Kiev, sketches for Pochaev lavra mosaic (1910), 4 sketches for wall paintings of a chapel in Pskov (1913), 12 pictures for Livshiz’s villa in Nice (1914). In 1914, he designed a Holy Spirit church in Talashkino.

Nicholas Roerich’s multi - faceted talent brightly showed itself in his works for theatre productions: “Snow Maiden”, “Per Gynt”, “Princess Malen”, “Valkyrie” and others. During Sergey Diaghilev’s famous “Russian Seasons”, N. Roerich did the designs for “Polovets Dances” from Borodin’s “Prince Igor”, “Pskovityanka” by Rimsky - Korsakov, and the ballet “Sacred Spring”, better known as Rite of Spring, to Stravinsky’s music.

The Epoch of Silver Age where N. Roerich began his creative development was the epoch of spiritual rise and that undoubtedly affected the formation of the artist. A galaxy of outstanding thinkers such as V.S. Solovyev, E.N. Trubetskoi, V.V. Rozanov, P.A. Florensky, S.N. Bulgakov, N.A. Berdyayev etc. brought in Russian culture a deep philosophical thought. The Eastern culture was of particular interest for Russian intellectuals. In search of universal values N. Roerich besides Russian philosophy also studied Eastern philosophy, e.g., the works of outstanding Indian thinkers Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, and the works of R. Tagore. This acquaintance with the oriental philosophic thought is reflected in N. Roerich’s creative work. While the core subjects of the artist’s earlier paintings were ancient pagan Russia, colorful images of the folk epos (“They Build a City”, “Ominous”, “Guests from overseas”, etc.), starting already from the middle of the 1905, many of his canvases and literary pieces were devoted to India (“Lakshmi”, “Indian path”, “Krishna”, Indian dreams” etc.). Roerich as a painter and a scientist was interested in the ancient cultures of Russia and India and their common origin. A correlation between temporal categories of past, present and future was of great importance for his historical perspective. Roerich measured the past and the present by the future: “… when we call for the study of the past, we do it only for the sake of future”. “Let’s construct the steps of the future from ancient wonderful stones”.

From 1906 to 1918, N. Roerich was Director of the School of Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society and at the same time he was busy with teaching. From this time the artist became a permanent participant of foreign exhibitions. He exhibited in Paris, Venice, Berlin, Roma, Brussels, Vienna. His paintings were purchased by the Roman National Museum, the Louvre and other European museums.

From 1906, Roerich’s creativity entered a new more mature period. N. Roerich changed towards an approach to historical themes. History, mythology, folklore became sources, from which the artist got the material for his art. Realism and symbolism were combined in his art. In this period, N. Roerich intensified his explorations in the field of color. He almost abandoned oil and passed to temperas. He experimented with painting composition, and used a method of superposition of colors. From 1907 to 1918, nine monographs and several artistic magazines devoted to N. Roerich’s art were published in Russia and Europe. Leonid Andreyev figuratively named a world, created by the artist, as “Roerich’s Empire”.

In 1909, N. Roerich was elected as Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts and a member of the Rheims Academy in France. In 1910, he became the head of the artistic association “World of Art”, whose members included A. Benois, L. Bakst, I. Grabar, V. Serov, K. Petrov - Vodkin, B. Kustodiev, A. Ostroumova - Lebedeva, Z. Serebryakova.

 The “Greatest intuitionist of the century”, according to an expression of A.M. Gorky, N. Roerich expressed his forebodings on the eve of the First World War in symbolic images: “Fairest City is the enemies’ vexation”, “The Last Angel”, “Glow”, “Human works”. These paintings demonstrate both the struggle between two sides – Light and Darkness, which runs through the whole Roerich’s art, and the human's responsibility for his own destiny and that of the world. N. Roerich not only created paintings with an anti-war orientation, but also wrote articles devoted to the protection of peace and culture.

In 1915, N. Roerich made a report to Emperor Nikolai II and Grand Prince Nikolai Nikolayevich (Younger) containing a call to take serious measures for the protection of cultural treasures. In 1916, because of a serious lung illness, Roerich together with his family moved to Sortavala, Finland, on the shore of Lake Ladoga.

On March 4, 1917, a month since the February revolution, M. Gorky gathered in his apartment a group of painters, writers and actors, including N. Roerich, A. Benois, Bilibin, Dobuzhinskii, Petrov - Vodkin, Schuko, Shalyapin. On the meeting they elected a Committee for arts affairs. M. Gorky was elected as a head of this Committee and A. Benois and N. Roerich were elected as assistants. The Committee examined the questions of art development in Russia and protection of old relics and monuments. After the revolution events in 1917 Finland closed its border and Roerich with his family were isolated.

In 1919, having received an invitation from Sweden, N. Roerich exhibited around the Scandinavian countries, and in autumn of the same year, on Diaghilev’s invitation, he designed for Russian operas by M. Mussorgsky and A. Borodin in London.

In 1920, N. Roerich got an invitation from the Director of the Chicago Institute of Arts to organize a big exhibition tour in 30 cities of the USA. Among 115 his paintings the following were exhibited: “Angel’s treasure” (1905), “The last angel” (1912), “Viking’s daughter” (1917), “Call of the sun” (1918), “Ecstasy” (1917), the series “Heroism” and “Dreams of the East” etc. The exhibitions were a great success. In America, N. Roerich created the following series: “Sancta”, “New Mexico”, Ocean’s suite”, “Dreams of wisdom” etc. In America he founded cultural and enlightenement organizations, which became great cultural centers and attracted many prominent art figures. In November, 1921, the Master Institute of United Arts was opened in New York. Its main purpose was to bring peoples together through culture and art. Almost at the same time, the artists association “Cor Ardens” (“Blazing Hearts”) was established in Chicago, and in 1922, the International Cultural Center “Corona Mundi” (“Crown of the World”) opened. On November, 1923, the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York was found. It contained a rich collection of the artist’s paintings.

Sale of the paintings, fees for theatric performances, publication of numerous articles, activities of these American cultural organizations gave N. Roerich the financial ability to accomplish a scientific expedition in Central Asia. On December 2, 1923, N. Roerich and his family arrived in India, which attracted the attention of N. Roerich not only as a painter, but as a scientist interested in a number of issues related to ancient peoples’ world migrations, and search for a common source of Slavic and Indian cultures. From there, they visited areas of Central Asia. Later N. Roerich wrote: “Besides the artistic tasks of our expedition, we have intended to clarify the situation with the relics of the past of Central Asia, to observe the modern state of religion, customs, and to register the traces of great migration of peoples. This last task was always of interest to me”. The expedition went through Sikkim, Kashmir, Ladakh, China (Sintzian), Russia (including Moscow), Siberia, Altai, Mongolia, Tibet, and unstudied areas of Trans Himalayas. It was continued from 1924 to 1928. Having realized Przewalski's and Kozlov’s dream, Nicholas Roerich’s expedition became a triumph of Russian studies in Central Asia. In terms of the uniqueness of its path and of the collected materials, it can justly claim a special place among the major expeditions of the 20th century.

Archeological and ethnographical investigations in unexplored Asian areas were conducted. For the first time, dozens of new mountain peaks and passes were marked on maps, rarest manuscripts were found, richest linguistic materials and folkloric works were collected, descriptions of local customs were made. Also during the expedition the books “Heart of Asia” and “Altai - Himalayas” were written, about five hundred paintings were created, a famous painting series “Himalayas” was began, the series “Maytreya”, “Sikkim’s Path”, “His country”, “The Teaches of the East” etc.

Extensive scientific material, collected by Roerichs during the expedition, required systematization and treatment. After the expedition ended in July 1928, in the Western Himalayas, Kullu Valley, N. Roerich founded the Institute of Himalayan Studies “Urusvati”, Sanskrit for “Light of the Morning Star”. In this place, Kullu valley, N. Roerich lived the last period of his life. The director of the Institute became George Roerich, elder son of N. Roerich, a world - known orientalist. He directed ethnological and linguistic researches and also reconnaissance of archeological monuments. In the institute there were medical, zoological, botanical, biochemical and many other laboratories. Large work was conducted in the field of linguistics and Eastern philology. Rare written sources of centuries - old remote areas were collected and translated in European languages; half-forgotten dialects were studied. Visiting specialists and workers collected botanical and zoological collections.

Tens of scientific institutions from Asia, Europe and America collaborated with the Institute “Urusvati”. Scientific materials from Kullu came in the University of Michigan, New York’s Botanical Garden, University of Punjab, Paris Museum of natural history, Harvard University, the Botanical garden of USSR Academy of Sciences. Famous Soviet botanist and geneticist academician N.I. Vavilov appealed to the institute “Urusvati” for scientific information and received from there the seeds for his unique botanical collection. Such famous scientists, as A. Einstein, L. de Broil, R. Milliken, Sven Guedin etc. also collaborated with the institute.

In 1934 – 1935, Nicholas Roerich conducted an expedition in Inner Mongolia, Manchuria and China, organized by the US Department of Agriculture. The expedition's purpose was to collect seeds of the plants preventing the destruction of benign layers of soil. The expedition consisted of two parts. The first itinerary included the Khingan mountain ridge and the Bargin plateau (1934), the second one – the Gobi Desert, Ordos and Alashan (1935). These itineraries passed through a territory of Inner Mongolia located in northern and east - northern parts of modern China. As a result of the expedition, nearly 300 species of xerophytes were found, herbs were collected, archeological studies were conducted, and antique manuscripts of great scientific importance were found.

In his philosophic and artistic essays, Roerich created an absolutely new concept of culture based on the ideas of the Living Ethics. Culture, in N. Roerich’s opinion, is closely related to the problems of cosmic evolution of mankind and is “a greatest foundation” for this process. He wrote: “Culture is based on Beauty and Knowledge”. And he repeated a well known phrase of Dostoevsky: “Awareness of Beauty saves the world”. The beauty becomes known to people through Culture only, and its integral part is creation. Roerich included in the broad notion of Culture a synthesis of the best achievements of human spirit in the sphere of religious experience, science, art, education. He formulated the principal difference between Culture and civilization. While Culture relates to the spiritual world of man in his creative self-expression, civilization is just external arrangement of human life in all its material and civil aspects. Identification of civilization and Culture, Nicholas Roerich argued, leads to confusion between these two notions, to underestimation of the spiritual factor in the development of humanity. “Wealth in itself does not generate Culture. But broadened and subtler thinking and the sense of Beauty produce that subtlety, that nobility of spirit which are distinctive for a cultured person. It is this kind of person that can build the future of light for its country”. Proceeding from this, the mankind must not only develop Culture, but is also obliged to protect it.

In 1929, N. Roerich in collaboration with doctor of international law from Paris University G.G. Chklaver prepared a draft of an agreement dedicated to protection of cultural values (Roerich’s Pact). Coupled with the Pact Roerich proposed a distinctive sign for identification of protected objects – Banner of Peace - which was a white cloth containing a red ring and three red circles inscribed in it. The sign symbolized a unity of the past, present and future into the ring of eternity. In 1929, N. Roerich was nominated for the Nobel prize for his international cultural activity and Pact initiative. 

In 1930, the text of a draft agreement with an accompanying appeal to governments and peoples of all countries was published in the press and distributed in government, scientific, artistic and educational institutions around the world. As a result, committees supporting the Pact were established in many countries. The draft pact was approved by the Committee for museum affairs at the League of Nations and also by the Pan-American Union.

Roerich’s Pact has a large educational value. “A pact for the protection of cultural treasures is not only needed as an official body, but as an educational law that, from the very first school days, will educate the young generation with noble ideas of preservation of the whole mankind’s true values”, – wrote N. Roerich. The idea of the Pact was welcomed by R. Rolland, B. Shaw, R. Tagore, A. Einstein, T. Mann, H. Wells. The Pact was signed in the White House in Washington, on April 15, 1935 with the participation of US President F. Roosevelt. Originally, the document was ratified by 21 countries of the American continent. Later the Pact was validated by 15 more countries. Roerich’s Pact became the first international act especially devoted to protection of cultural values. It was a unique agreement in this field, which was accepted by part of the international community before second World War. A few years after the war, Roerich’s Pact played an important role in forming international law standards and public activism in the field of protection of cultural heritage. In 1949, the fourth session of the general UNESCO conference voted for a decision to begin the work for adopting international law regulations in the field of cultural heritage protection in case of armed conflict. In 1954, Roerich’s Pact was the basis for the Hague “International Convention for Protection of Cultural Values in the Event of Armed Conflict”, and the suggested special flag, the Banner of Peace, declaring all treasures of culture and art inviolable objects, still flies today above many cultural and educational institutions all over the world. The painting “Madonna Oriflamma” was especially devoted to the Pact.

Being in India, Nicholas Roerich from very first days of Second World War used all opportunities to help Russia. Together with his younger son Svyatoslav Roerich he organized exhibitions and sales of paintings, transferring all gains to the Soviet Red Cross fund and Red Army. He published articles in press; spoke on the radio in support of the soviet people. During those formidable years for Russia, the painter turned again to the subject of native land in his creative work. In that period, he created a whole series of paintings – “Prince Igor campaign”, “Alexander Nevsky”, “Partisans”, “Victory”, “Heroes have awaken” and others, in which he used the images of the Russian history, predicting the Russian people’s victory against the fascism.

When the fascist forces occupied extensive Soviet territories, N. Roerich made a request to his workers to serve for mutual understanding between Russia and USA. In 1942, the American - Russian cultural Association (ARCA) was created in New York. Its active participants were Ernest Hemingway, Rockwell Kent, Charlie Chaplin, Emil Cooper, S. Koussevitzky, P. Heddas, V. Tereshchenko. The association’s activity was welcomed by world known scientists R. Milliken and A. Compton.

The Russian painter’s world recognition is confirmed by the fact that more than a hundred institutes, academies, scientific corporations, cultural institutions had chosen him as their honorary and full member. In India, famous Indian philosophers, scientists, writers, public figures were personally acquainted with Nicholas Roerich.

In India Roerich continued to work at the “Himalayas” series which includes more than two thousands paintings. The mountain world was a source of inexhaustible inspiration for the painter. Art critics noted a new direction in Roerich’s creativity and called him “Master of mountains”. In India Roerich created the following series: “Shambala”, “Chingis - Khan”, “Kuluta”, “Kullu”, “Saint mountains”, “Tibet”, "Ashrams” etc. Exhibitions were held in many Indian cities and attracted many people.

Roerich always remained a patriot and a Russian citizen only holding one passport – Russian. He never gave up the thought of coming back to his motherland. Right after the end of the war, the artist applied for a visa to enter the Soviet Union. But on December 13, 1947, he died, without knowing that he was denied the visa.

In Kullu valley, at the place of the funeral fire, a big rectangular stone was installed on which the following inscription was carved:

In 1990, Svetoslav Roerich, younger son of Nicholas and Helena Roerich, implementing his parents will, has transferred to the Soviet Roerich’s Foundation (now International Centre of the Roerichs (ICR)) the richest heritage of his family. Due to L.V. Shaposhnikova, noted scientist, writer, and academician of Russian Academy of Nature Sciences, and Yu.M. Vorontsov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, more than 400 paintings, archives, library and Roerich’s family antiquities were imported back to Russia. This heritage became a base for a Museum, named after Nicholas Roerich, opened in Moscow. S.N. Roerich chose for the future museum an ancient mansion of the Lopukhins. On February 12, 1993, the first museum exhibition was opened in this building.

In October 15, 1969 a minor planet of Solar System was discovered by astronomers of the Crimea astrophysical observatory Nikolai Stepanovich and Lyudmila Ivanovna Chernikh. This planet was named in honor of Roerichs family. It was numbered 4426.

On August 15, 1963 in the Independence day of India the alpinists from Tomsk V.Sirkin, G. Shvartsman, A. Ivanov, V. Petrenko, L. Spiridonov, G. Skryabin, V. Slyusarchuk, Yu. Salivon, D. Gusev, S. Lobanov had climbed on a nameless as yet mountain peak and named it after N. Roerich.