International Day of Culture. International Day of Culture (Roerich Pact) International Day of Cultural Workers April 15

The date is associated with the signing on April 15, 1935 in Washington of the Treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and scientific institutions And historical monuments", which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

In December 2008, on the initiative public organizations Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, Lithuania have created an International Movement to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace.

At the XXII International Congress of Space Flight Participants in Prague, held in October 2009, the world’s cosmonauts signed an Appeal for approval World Day Cultures.

The proposal to hold World Culture Day was put forward by Nicholas Roerich back in 1931 in the Belgian city of Bruges at a conference dedicated to promoting an international treaty on the protection of cultural property. At the same time, the main task of the Day of Culture was named - a broad appeal to beauty and knowledge. Nicholas Roerich wrote: “Let us also affirm the World Day of Culture, when in all churches, in all schools and educational societies at the same time, we will be reminded of the true treasures of humanity, of creative heroic enthusiasm, of the improvement and beautification of life.”

On April 15, 1935, in Washington, in the office of President Roosevelt, the leaders of 21 states of the American continent adopted an international treaty for the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments, named after its creator, the Roerich Pact.

This first international legal act on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments was proposed by the artist, an outstanding figure of Russian and world culture of the twentieth century, Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, who considered culture to be the main thing driving force on the path of improving human society, saw in it the basis of the unity of people different nationalities and religions.

The idea of ​​creating an organized protection of cultural property arose in his mind at the very beginning of the century while studying the monuments of Russian antiquity. Russo-Japanese War The year 1904 forced the artist to think seriously about the threat that lay in the technical improvement of military means of destruction.

In 1914, Nicholas Roerich addressed the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural property by concluding an appropriate international agreement, but his appeal then remained unanswered.

In 1929, Roerich prepared and published on various languages a draft treaty on the protection of cultural property, accompanied by an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty received worldwide fame and wide response among the world community. Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, spoke in support of the idea of ​​Nicholas Roerich, H.G. Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann, Rabindranath Tagore. Committees in support of the Pact were formed in many countries. The draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

The Roerich Pact was the first international act specifically dedicated to the protection of cultural property, the only agreement in this area adopted by part of the international community before the Second World War. Within the framework of the Pact itself, the distinctive sign proposed by Roerich was approved, which was supposed to mark protected cultural objects. This sign was the “Banner of Peace” - a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted - the past, present and future achievements of mankind, surrounded by a ring of Eternity.

The Roerich Pact played an important role in the further formation of international legal norms and social activities in the field of security cultural heritage.

This treaty has been used as the basis for many documents of modern international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection. Including such UNESCO acts as: “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”, adopted in The Hague on May 14, 1954 by the intergovernmental conference of UNESCO member states, and two protocols to it; "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property", adopted in Paris on November 14, 1970 by the 16th session of the General Conference of UNESCO, and the "Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and natural heritage", adopted in Paris on November 16, 1972 by the 17th session of the General Conference of UNESCO.

Those adopted in 1950-1970 are important. UNESCO recommendations: on regulation archaeological excavations; measures to ensure the general accessibility of museums, preserving the beauty and character of landscapes and areas; prohibition and prevention of illegal import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property; preservation of cultural property endangered as a result of public or private works; national protection of cultural and natural heritage; international exchange of cultural values; preservation and modern role ensembles; protection of movable cultural property; protection and preservation of moving images.

These UNESCO acts have exceptional authority and are designed to influence the development of national legislation, as well as the activities of countries to preserve cultural heritage.

Hague. Raising the Banner of Peace over the Peace Palace on April 15, 2014:

International Day of Culture in 2018 is celebrated on April 15, Sunday. This significant day does not relate to professional or any other holidays associated with specialized human activities, but refers to such a universal sphere of human existence as culture.

The history of the holiday

The history of the emergence of this amazing holiday is very interesting and indicative. It reflects spiritual and philosophical quests outstanding artist and the thinker and Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947).

The International Day of Culture can confidently be called the fruit of his efforts and the legacy that he left to humanity. Long years Nicholas Roerich addressed governments around the world with a call for the creation of an international Treaty on the protection of cultural property. Finally, with the support of the world community, such an agreement was signed on April 15, 1935 in Washington. It was called the “Roerich Pact”.

The purpose of this international legal act is to protect and preserve the best achievements human spirit and reason, creating conditions for the unification of all peoples on the basis of universal cultural values.

The Roerich Pact underlies many international documents in the field of preservation of cultural property, including a number of United Nations resolutions.

The symbol of this unique document was the Banner of Peace, which also has its own symbolism:

• the white color of the panel is a symbol of purity, Light, radiance and Beauty;
• three red (amaranth) circles touching each other - a symbol of the past, present, future. In a broader interpretation, the symbol of the trinity;
• a circle enclosing amaranth circles is a symbol of Eternity.

As the author of the Banner N.K. believed. Roerich, the symbolism of the proposed flag is not limited to any religion or tradition, it has ancient origin and denotes the unity of the universe. The Banner of Peace is placed on those who have great importance cultural objects, which is especially important, according to Roerich, during military conflicts.

The philosophical concept of culture created by Nikolai Konstantinovich is interesting. By this he means the basis cosmic evolution humanity, the knowledge of Beauty in the process of creativity. Culture is a synthesis of the highest achievements in the fields of religion, science, art, and education.

So, the emergence International Day culture is directly related to the signing of the Roerich Pact on April 15, 1935. But this holiday began to be celebrated very soon - only since 1998.

How to celebrate International Day of Culture

The initiator of the International Day of Culture was the public organization International League for the Defense of Culture established by the International Center of the Roerichs. Of course, the followers of the outstanding thinker had no doubts about what date to celebrate this significant event: it could only be April 15 - the day the Roerich Pact was signed.

The International League for the Defense of Culture and other public organizations hold numerous events on Culture Day:

• conferences, seminars and symposia on the problems of cultural protection;
• musical and poetry evenings;
• Exhibitions national cultures and much more;

All these events in many countries of the world, including Russia, are accompanied by the solemn raising of the Banner of Peace.

Use of the Banner of Peace

At school, my history teacher, in order to clearly explain to students what culture is, once said that culture is what remains after a person. And indeed, in most cases, culture is understood as human activity in its most varied manifestations, including all forms and methods of human self-realization and self-knowledge, the accumulation by man and society of various skills and abilities.

So what is culture?

The word "culture" translated from Sanskrit literally means "veneration of light", expressing the desire for knowledge of beauty, ideals and self-improvement. Translated from Latin cultura - cultivation, later - upbringing, education, development and veneration. Culture is the subject of study of philosophy, cultural studies, history, art history, linguistics, political science, ethnology, psychology, economics, pedagogy and other fields.

In a word, culture is a set of sustainable forms of human activity, without which it cannot be reproduced, and therefore cannot exist. Simply put, culture is a set of codes that prescribe a person a certain behavior with characteristic experiences and thoughts. Finally, the source of the origin of culture is considered to be only human activity, cognition and creativity.

On the part of humanity, studying and appreciating culture, preserving and protecting it is the main duty. After all, it is the consumer attitude towards the gifts of nature, inattention and neglect of historical monuments, the lack of spirituality in society, the veneration of exclusively material values ​​- all these are clear signs of a lack of culture or simply lack of culture. And to educate and develop conscience, empathy and responsibility in a person - only culture is capable of this. Therefore, in order to emphasize the significance and value of all spheres of activity of the cultural world, this holiday was established on earth - International Day of Culture, which is celebrated annually in many countries around the world on April 15.

history of the holiday

The holiday was established on April 15, 1935 in honor of the adoption of the international treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The idea of ​​​​creating organized protection of cultural property belongs to the outstanding painter and figure of Russian and world culture Nicholas Roerich, who saw culture as the main thing. driving force on the path to improving human society, considered it the source and basis of the unity of people of different nationalities and religions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, during the period of wars and redistribution of territories, while studying the monuments of Russian antiquity, Roerich understood how vitally important it was to preserve them. Therefore, in 1914, the artist turned to the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural property by concluding an appropriate international agreement. Unfortunately, his appeal remained unanswered at that time.

However, Roerich did not stop there, and in 1929 he prepared and published a draft treaty on the protection of cultural property, accompanying it with an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty immediately gained worldwide fame and wide response among the world community. And in support of the idea of ​​​​Nicholas Roerich, Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Herbert Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann and Rabindranath Tagore spoke out. Moreover, committees in support of the Pact were founded in many countries. As a result, the draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

So it was Nicholas Roerich who became the ideologist and creator of the document on the protection of world cultural heritage, which was conceived as an international legal act of a universal nature. And on April 15, 1935, on the eve of World War II, in the White House in Washington, the heads of 21 states signed the first ever international treaty “On the protection of institutions serving the purposes of culture, science and art, as well as historical monuments,” named after its creator "Roerich Pact".

It is noteworthy that the Covenant contains general principles regarding the protection of cultural property and the respect due to it. The provision for the protection of objects is unconditional in the Pact and is not weakened by clauses on military necessity, which reduce the effectiveness of the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts.

As part of the Pact, Roerich also proposed a distinctive sign that was supposed to mark protected cultural objects - it became the Banner of Peace, a kind of Banner of Culture. This is a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted, symbolizing the past, present and future achievements of mankind, surrounded by a ring of Eternity. This sign is international in nature and is found in works of art different countries and peoples of the world from ancient times to the present. According to Roerich's plan, the Banner of Peace should have flown over cultural sites as a guardian of the true spiritual values ​​of humanity.

© photo: Sputnik / Rudolf Kucherov

"Banner of Peace" - a gift from the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York

The Pact was destined to play an important role in the further formation of international legal norms and public activities in the field of cultural heritage protection. This treaty has been used as the basis for many documents of modern international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection, including in a number of UNESCO acts.

How is Culture Day celebrated?

International Day of Culture is celebrated around the world with various festive cultural and educational events and promotions: in many countries, gala concerts, exhibitions of national cultures of the world, conferences, symposiums and lectures on various cultural topics, musical and poetry evenings, as well as theatrical performances and much more are organized.

According to tradition, on this day the Banner of Peace is also raised and all cultural workers are congratulated on their professional holiday.

By the way, the Banner of Peace can now be seen everywhere - in the UN buildings in New York and Vienna, in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, in cultural institutions of different countries, on the highest peaks of the world and even at the North and South Poles. And it was also lifted into space.

Today, in the era of globalization, when the earth is acutely experiencing serious economic and environmental crises, natural disasters and military conflicts, caring for culture is extremely important and relevant. After all, it is its increase and preservation that is still capable of uniting people regardless of their nationality, age, gender, status, and finally ending military conflicts and making politics and economics moral. Only the acceptance by states of culture as the only true and necessary force is the guarantee of peace on Earth.

The date is associated with the signing on April 15, 1935 in Washington of the agreement “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The initiative to celebrate the day of signing the Pact as the International Day of Culture was taken in 1998 by the public organization International League for the Defense of Culture, founded in 1996 by the International Center of the Roerichs.

Since that time, in many cities of Russia and around the world, on April 15, a solemn celebration of Culture Day is taking place with the raising of the Banner of Peace. In some Russian cities, International Day of Culture has been celebrated since 1995.

In December 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, the International Movement was created to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace.

The International Day of Culture is dedicated annually to various events- Exhibitions, round tables, conferences.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The date is associated with the signing April 15, 1935 Washington Treaty "On the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments" , known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact. The initiative to celebrate the day of signing the Pact as International Day of Culture was taken by a public organization in 1998 International League for the Defense of Culture, established in 1996 by the International Center of the Roerichs.


N.K. Roerich

On April 15, 1935, on the eve of World War II, in the White House in Washington, the heads of 21 states signed the first international treaty in the history of the Earth “On the protection of institutions serving the purposes of culture, science and art, as well as historical monuments,” named after its creator "Roerich Pact".

This is a public organization whose activities are aimed at protecting and enhancing the achievements of culture, art, science, and religion. Later, proposals were also made to establish this holiday, and it was even celebrated in a number of countries. And in 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, the International Movement was created to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace. And today this holiday is celebrated in different countries of the world.

Within the framework of the Pact, Roerich also proposed distinctive sign , which was supposed to mark protected cultural objects, – "Banner of Peace" , a kind of Banner of Culture, is a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted - the past, present and future achievements of humanity, surrounded by a ring of Eternity. This sign is international in nature and is found in works of art from different countries and peoples of the world from ancient times to the present. According to Roerich's plan, the Banner of Peace should flutter over cultural objects as a guardian of the true spiritual values ​​of humanity.

By the way, the Banner of Peace can now be seen everywhere - in the UN buildings in New York and Vienna, in the State Duma of Russia, in cultural institutions of different countries, on the highest peaks of the world and even at the North and South Poles. It was also lifted into space, marking the beginning of the implementation of the International public scientific and educational space project “Banner of Peace”, in which Russian and foreign cosmonauts .

In the same International Day of Culture in many countries there are various holiday events. Thus, gala concerts, exhibitions of national cultures, conferences and lectures on various cultural topics, musical and poetry evenings, dance and theatrical performances and much more are held in Russian cities. Also on this day, the Banner of Peace is raised and all cultural workers are congratulated on their professional holiday.

Raising the Roerich Banner of Peace and the state flags of Russia and India

In 2012, an international exhibition project dedicated to the history of the Roerich Pact was launched at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The exhibition project worked in 17 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, in 2014 he began his march through the cities of Russia.

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in order to attract public attention to issues of cultural development, preservation of cultural and historical heritage and the role Russian culture worldwide 2014 in Russia was declared the year of culture .

Over 1.5 thousand events took place as part of the Year of Culture. Exhibitions of Russian centers were organized in 46 countries around the world.

Based on materials from RIA Novosti