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02/12/2023. ”Chud is Going Underground”. A dialogue between an artist and a historian at the paintings by N. K. Roerich
December 2, 2023:
The National Library held “The Dialogue between an Artist and a Historian” – an event beloved by the Petrozavodsk public. In May 2023, the first meeting took place with the participation of museum and local historian Irina Stepanova and member of the Union of Artists of Russia Irina Mamontova. The theme of the event was the origins of Roerich’s deep love to Russia.
This time, the conversation was not only about two paintings by the artist from 1913 and 1928 entitled “Chud Went Underground,” but also in general about the origins of the Russian land, about the restoration of its true history, about the role of the Russian North in the spiritual movement of the peoples of our homeland and about the most important spiritual treasures.
Irina Stepanova presented a whole layer of chronicle and folklore legends about the Chud tribe, existing in the North, in Perm Krai and Altai. Irina also touched upon mysterious stories about such secret countries and lands as Hyperborea and Biarmia.
Irina Mamontova, artist, told the participants in the meeting how the brilliant artistic intuition of N.K. Roerich helped him create paintings that contained symbolism not only of the past, but also of the future.
A pleasant surprise for everyone was Edvard Grieg’s string quartet No. 1 performed virtuously and soulfully by students of the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory under the guidance of musician and violin master Evgeniy Terekhov. The sounds of northern melody enhanced the impression of an interesting meeting. At the end, the participants discussed proposals for celebrating the 150th anniversary of N.K. Roerich.
