Национальная библиотека Республики Карелия

In December 2017, the Karelian Center of Nikolas Roerich was opened in the National Library of Karelia. The reason for its opening was that 2017 marked the centenary of Roerich’s visit to Karelia.

From 1916 to 1918, Nikolas Roerich lived and created his works in Serdobol (now Sortavala). At the same time, he visited and researched other sights and places in Karelia; for example Petrozavodsk, Kivach Falls etc. The relatively short Karelian period was very productive for the artist. During this time in Karelia, Roerich painted about 200 unique paintings on the theme of Ladoga Karelia. These paintings formed the basis for Roerich’s exhibition tours to art galleries of Nordic countries and America. Roerich's creativity is the exclusive phenomenon in Russian and world art. His paintings are attractive due to the uniqueness, poetry and deep symbolism of his plots.

At the end of January 2018, library visitors were able to see four visual editions of the great master’s paintings: Monastery of Sergius and Zvenigorod (are housed in the Nikolas Roerich Museum in New York), and Pomors. Morning (the original is in the Gorlovka Art Museum in Ukraine), and Pomors. Evening (the original is in the Murmansk Regional Art Museum).

The Karelian Roerich Center was a popular place to visit on the Library Night - 2018, the tour guide was Yuri Linnik (18.01.1944 - 05.05.2018), a Karelian philosopher, poet and researcher of Roerich. His brilliant lecture called Roerich’s Mission was the end of this excursion.

In May 2018, the National Library of Karelia presented a mysterious and interactive performance Mercy which was based on a play by N. K. Roerich. The roles were played by theater actors and students from St. Petersburg.

The exhibition The Nordic Fairy Tale is Deep and Enchanting arrived at the Karelian Roerich Center. The exhibition features 40 fax copies of paintings by Nikolas Roerich in Karelia in 1916-1918. The new exhibition is another gift that the Roerich Family Museum and Institute of St. Petersburg has given to Petrozavodsk.

During 2019, the Roerich Center of the National Library of Karelia participated in several joint events with the Roerich Ladoga Center, the Regional Museum of Northern Ladoga, the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory and other organizations.

The support of the events from the Karelia government and the media promotes educational and research projects that arose much interest not only in Karelia but also outside it.

During 2020 – 2021, the Karelian Roerich Center of the National Library of Karelia presented the exhibition Holy Russia in the Paintings by Roerich. Some of the fax copies of the artist’s works are included in the electronic publication Roerich’s Suite Sankta.